


The Hero this City Needs

by Akasey47



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Superheroes/Superpowers, Bad Ass Lexa, Bank Robbers, Clarke Griffin & Raven Reyes Friendship, Clexa, Commander Lexa, Doctor Clarke, F/F, Genius Raven, Mount Weather, Romance, Sidekick Anya, Slow Burn, depictions of violence, thugs - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-11-14
Packaged: 2018-06-10 06:47:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 72,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6944116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akasey47/pseuds/Akasey47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CEO/Billionaire Playgirl by day, Vigilante by night, Lexa Woods has her hands full trying to keep Polis safe from evil and her company running smoothly. Clarke Griffin just wants to save Ark Memorial Hospital from falling into financial ruins. What happens when circumstances throw them together? Will they be able to overcome the dark forces in Polis?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys, this story has been begging me to be written so here we go. Let me know what you think! I took some inspiration from Arrow and Batman. This story will attempt to be original but pay homage to certain scenes from the actual show.

Chapter 1

  
She crouched atop the cathedral’s bell tower watching over the city, perched like a statue. A silent guardian. Her long black coat and signature red sash billowed in the wind around her. Her keen, war paint covered eyes watched the tiny people on the street below bustle to and fro rushing from one place to another. She found solace in watching the city from this height. She could see all of Polis stretched out before her. Her city. The city she had sworn to protect, to make a better place. Ever since donning her vigilante persona as The Commander, crime in Polis had dropped significantly. She was hailed as a hero by most. Street art and graffiti depicting her signature look could be found all over the alley ways, bridges, and buildings. She was making a difference, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough as long as criminals plagued the streets and endangered the innocents. Innocents like Costia. Images flooded into her mind. Blood. Pale, cold skin. She tried to stop the thoughts from running through her head, but failed. The corners of her mouth turned down and she let out a strangled sigh at the thought of the love she had lost. She touched the small pendant that hung from her neck.

  
“I may have failed you, my love, but I will not fail this city. I will not fail our people,” she mumbled aloud as she once again locked her feelings away in a dark corner of her heart that she kept buried. She couldn’t afford to let her feelings interfere with her duty. Not when the work she did was so important. She forced her mind back into the present and let the sounds of the city permeate her senses. She listened to the honking of horns, the wailing of sirens, and the shouting of street vendors plying their wares. It had been a calm night. The air was warm and slightly humid signaling the approach of summer. All of a sudden her ears picked up the distinct sound of a struggle in the alleyway behind the cathedral. “I should have known there was no such thing as a peaceful night in Polis,” she said as she rose from her position.  
………..

  
Clarke Griffin weaved her way through the crowded street, trying to get home after a long, grueling day at the hospital. She was coming off a 24 hour shift spent mostly elbow deep in the chest of some stranger either piecing them back together or cutting them apart. She was the head trauma surgeon at Ark Memorial Hospital, a position that she loved, but that didn’t seem to love her back. The hospital was underfunded and understaffed which wasn’t uncommon for a hospital located on the outskirts of the slums. She worked double the hours a normal surgeon would trying to make up for the lack of help. There was never a shortage of patients in a city this large regardless of whether the hospital was underfunded or not, and she had become a surgeon to make a difference.

  
She stopped by a hot dog vendor on her way back to her apartment. She planned to pass out as soon as she reached the threshold, so she decided that eating on her way home would be the best course of action. Usually, she took the long way home to avoid the more dangerous parts of Polis, but tonight she was just too tired. By cutting through the slums area known as Ton D.C. she would shave 20 minutes off of the time it would take her to get home. She had taken some self-defense classes and knew how to pack a punch, and she always kept her trusty Taser on her at all times. She felt relatively confident that she could make it home in one piece. Besides, crime rate had dropped significantly since the mysterious vigilante had started patrolling the streets. Clarke wasn’t sure she believed in a masked do-gooder beating up bad guys, but her friend Octavia, a detective for Polis P.D., had confirmed the drop in crime. With these rationalizations in mind, Clarke decided to take the more dangerous short cut if it meant getting to her bed that much sooner.

  
She had been walking for 15 minutes and was nearly out of Ton D.C. without incident when he stepped out from behind the dumpster. She tensed immediately in seeing his large form fill her view. He was just a figure at first, covered by the dark shadows of the alleyway. When he stepped into the light of the street lamp, her blood ran cold. He stood at least six and a half feet tall and was as thick as a tree trunk. His icy blue eyes were filled with nothing but malice that was accentuated by the sinister snare of his lip. A large tattoo ran the length of the side of his bald head.

  
“Now what is a pretty little thing like you doing in this part of town this late at night?” he snarled at her.

  
“I’m just trying to get home. I don’t want any trouble,” she stated trying not to sound intimidated. She fished her hand into the bag at her side searching for her Taser.

  
“Well, darling, trouble wants you,” he stated with a sinister chuckle. He began to stalk towards her taking long, determined strides. She quickly began backing up as she tried to free the Taser from her bag, but he was on her too fast. She let out a startled yelp as he grabbed her fore arms and forced her to drop the hold on her bag. He pulled her closer, and she could smell the distinct stench of alcohol on his breath.

  
“You don’t want to do this,” she tried reasoning with him as she flinched away from him.

  
“I don’t think you know me very well,” he sneered. Clarke’s heart was ready to beat out of her chest. She struggled to keep the fear at bay. She knew she had to act quickly if she was going to get out of this mess. With all the strength in her leg she reared back and jammed her knee into his groin as hard as she could. He let out a pained howl and dropped his grasp on her. “You little bitch! You’ll pay for that.”

  
As soon as she felt his hands release her, she turned to run, but he caught her by the wrist and dragged her back to him. She swung a punch with her free arm, but this time he was on alert and caught the incoming blow in his giant hand. He lifted her slightly off the ground, his eyes furious. He threw her down with considerable force, knocking the air from her lungs. She began scooting back as quickly as possible, gasping for air. He kept advancing on her. He raised a meaty paw to knock her into oblivion, and she slammed her eyes shut not wanting to see the blow coming. She heard a faint thump followed by what sounded like a short scuffle. She dared to open her eyes and gasped at the scene before her.

  
The large form of her attacker lay prone on the ground, a large gash on his head seeping blood onto the pavement. A tall, dark, lean form loomed threateningly over him. She was dressed in a long dark coat that came down to about mid-calf. A bright red sash attached to a shoulder pauldron that strapped across her chest blew in the wind behind her making her look almost regal. She sheathed her sword at her hip and turned to face Clarke. Clarke noticed blood on the handle of the sword where the figure had struck her attacker with the blunt end. She walked over to Clarke and crouched down in front of her.

  
“Are you hurt?” came the deep, sultry voice. Clarke took in the features before her. A long, slender face, a defined jaw line, and gorgeous green eyes made even more intense by the dramatic war paint masking her savior’s identity. Long, chestnut hair was kept out of her face by braids that were expertly placed. The vigilante. Clarke was stunned. She had heard that the woman was beautiful, but truth be told she hardly believed in the vigilante. She had seen the drawings and graffiti around town, but nothing compared to the Commander that crouched before her. Clarke thought she heard her speak, but she was distracted by the emerald eyes staring down at her. “I said, are you hurt?” the vigilante repeated as she placed a hand gently on Clarke’s shoulder.

  
This seemed to jolt Clarke from her stupor. She jumped at the touch and flinched away, “What? Uh, yeah….I think I’m ok…I’m just…..” she stammered unable to form a coherent thought. The vigilante pulled her hand away almost shyly.

  
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” the woman said with a frown and Clarke noticed her full pink lips, “you’re safe now.” Clarke blinked a few times trying to get her bearings. She rubbed her eyes and shook her head as she tried to make sense of what just happened.

  
“Thank you,” she whispered as she glanced back at the man lying on the pavement. She absently rubbed her wrist where he had grabbed her.

  
“No need to worry about him,” the vigilante said as she rose from her crouch and offered a hand down to Clarke. Clarke reached up and took the assistance offered to her. The hand she grabbed was warm and strong yet somehow gentle as it helped her to her feet. “I don’t think he will be bothering anyone from a jail cell. You don’t look like you belong in this part of town.” The last sentence was not meant as an insult, but Clarke took offense none-the-less. Whatever thrall she had been under was broken by the condescending statement.

  
“What is that supposed to mean? I can take care of myself,” she stated matter-of-factly. She didn’t want to look at the impressive figure anymore, so she busied herself with dusting off her clothes.

  
The other woman frowned again realizing she had offended Clarke before stating, “I just mean you don’t look like you belong here. It’s dangerous in this part of the city. You shouldn’t have come here alone.” Her tone was harsher than she intended, but she straightened her spine and peered down at the other woman.  
Clarke’s cheeks lit up with embarrassment and anger at the obvious scolding, “You don’t know where I belong! You don’t know anything about me!” she huffed, “I can take care of myself.” She snatched her bag from the pavement and rushed past the scowling vigilante. She didn’t need a lecture from a brooding super-hero-wannabe. She stomped off further down the alley; her anger growing with every step.

  
“Be more careful next time,” she heard the masked stranger shout in a voice that somehow managed to be commanding and attractive all at the same time. She whirled around to retort, but the alley was empty. She scanned the buildings and shadows quickly, but found no sign of the vigilante. Gone as quickly as she had appeared. Clarke huffed out of annoyance and exhaustion then turned and dashed off in the direction of home determined never to cut through the slums again.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm posting chapter 2 because I am a little bit ahead on this story, but I wanted to let you know that from now on I will be updating on Mondays. I will try to be consistent with weekly updates. Please be sure to leave comments letting me know what you like and what you don't like!

Chapter 2

She steered her sleek, midnight black street bike down the narrow back roads leading to her private country estate. The bike was a Vyrus 987, one of the most expensive bikes on the market, and her absolute favorite toy. She had bought it the summer after she turned 18. Her first big purchase. Anya had been furious, convinced that she would split her head open on the pavement within the month. Now, Anya wished that the only thing she had to worry about was a split head from the pavement. She pulled the bike onto the long driveway that led up to her mansion. Her mansion. It felt wrong to call it that, but she was the only member of her family left. Her parents had died in a plane crash five years ago leaving this giant mansion and a multi-billion dollar corporation, Trikru Industries, in her hands. She still had Anya though, her Uncle Gustus who served as CFO of the company, and of course the staff that had served her family for years.

She arrived at the colossal front gate. It was made of impressive black iron with the family crest displayed in the middle, a large ancient tree surrounded by a golden circle with a W for Woods stamped in the center. It swung open smoothly as she entered the code and she continued on to the massive house. As she pulled up to the garage, she pushed another button and the large door opened. She pulled her bike into its parking spot beside an impressive Ferrari 488 Spider. She liked fast things and luckily her parent’s hard work had made it possible for her to have the best. She killed the bikes motor and dismounted in one graceful swoop. She quickly made her way to the back of the garage, coat and sash flowing behind her as she went. She approached the wall at the back of the garage and pressed in on one of the bricks. The square of floor that she had been standing on gave a slight jolt and separated from the rest of the floor. The square gently started a decent into a private lair located in the vast, secret underground of her family estate. Once the square reached the end of its decent, she stepped off into her safe haven. She started unbuckling the belt that held her shoulder pauldron in place letting it fall to the ground, followed by the long heavy coat that she wore. Next came the gauntlets that she wore around her wrists, followed by her sword and the various daggers that she strapped here and there. She heard footsteps descending down the stairs, and smiled to herself knowing what was coming. She continued her trek to the middle of the room leaving various pieces of armor strewn behind her.

“Alexandria Woods where on Earth have you been! You didn’t take your walkie or your ear-piece, what if something had happened?! You could be dying on the street! When I agreed to let you parade around as your precious Commander, you promised me you would always take a way for me to contact you!” Anya ranted, stooping to pick up the pieces of armor that Lexa had dropped in her journey to the wash basin at the center of the room.

“Shut up, Anya,” she groaned while trying to hide the smile on her face. She secretly loved that Anya fretted so much,” I didn’t want you bugging me every five seconds. Besides, I took my cellphone with me. You do have my number don’t you?”

“Ha!” Anya scoffed, “as if you would ever answer it, or even check it for that matter!” Lexa began washing the paint from her cheeks and eyes as Anya lectured her. She grabbed a towel from the small rack beside the basin and dried her hands and face before turning to listen to Anya with an amused smirk. “What would you have done if one of those thugs you like to fight had got the best of you?”

“Oh please, Anya, don’t you have more faith in me than that? Besides it was an incredibly dull night. I don’t even have any new bruises for you and Nyko to fuss over,” Lexa defended. It had been a dull night. Aside from the incident with the cute blonde, she hadn’t ran into any trouble at all. This left her restless. She made her way over to the gym she had set up on the far side of the room. She jumped up and grabbed onto the pull up bar and performed a few reps before continuing, “I didn’t even get to work off all of my energy.”

Anya rolled her eyes as she placed the Commander’s armor and weapons in their proper places. “You should get some rest. It’s almost 3 in the morning. You have a long day tomorrow,” she reprimanded.

“I always have a long day. You know I can’t sleep unless I’m exhausted,” Lexa stated. She focused on her breath and the burn in her muscles. Anya shook her head and looked at the stubborn girl before walking back up the stairs, satisfied that her little warrior had returned home unscathed.

………….

Clarke strolled into her office at the hospital placing her bag and coat on the rack by the door. Her incident with the vigilante from the night before seemed almost like a fever dream, but it had kept her from sleeping. Now, she was more tired than ever and had a 12 hour shift ahead of her. She had decided to keep the little incident to herself, not wanting to alarm her friends and family. She sat down at her shabby, paper-covered desk to check some emails when there was a knock at the door. Jesus, I just got here she thought to herself. “Come in,” she stated exasperatedly.

Dr. Wells Jaha opened the door and stepped inside. “Good morning,” he greeted with a small smile, “I know you just got here, but your mother asked me to deliver a message for her.” He shifted on his feet nervously. He and Clarke had not been on good terms since her father’s death. She blamed him for keeping things about her father’s condition from her, and had yet to forgive him. He had done it at Abby’s request, but that was no justification in Clarke’s eyes.

“Is my mother incapable of picking up a phone now?” Clarke snapped. She was grumpy and hadn’t had a chance to grab coffee yet.

Wells flinched from the bite in the comment but continued, “I’m not sure of that, but she asked that you meet with her for lunch today. She has something important that she wants to discuss with you.”

Clarke groaned, “Of course she does.” Clarke’s mom, Abby, had been the head trauma surgeon of the hospital before she was promoted to the Board of Directors. Now she spent all of her time in meetings and offices and left the dirty work to her daughter. “Was there anything else you needed Wells?” she inquired when she noticed the other doctor still standing in her office.

“Uh no,” he stammered, “have a good day Dr. Griffin.” Clarke nodded her head to show him she had heard him, and he quickly exited the room.

Clarke picked up her phone and paged the front desk, “Monroe, could you set up a lunch meeting for me and my mother around 12?” She checked a few charts while waiting for an answer. “She already has it set up? No, that’s fine. Let her know I’ll be there. Thank you,” Clarke let out a heavy sigh and picked up the charts that she would need in order to make her rounds. It was going to be a long day.

………….

Lexa Woods whipped her fiery red Ferrari into Trikru Industries’ parking garage. She hopped out of the driver’s side and tossed the keys to the valet. “Don’t scratch her!” she shouted as she hurried past. She was late. She was always late. She approached the door to the elevator and rapidly pushed the button a few times as if it would make the contraption arrive faster. The elevator doors finally creaked open and she pushed the button to her floor as she stepped inside. On her way up, she took the time to straighten her tailored black suit, and brush a few wild hairs down into place. By the time she made it to her destination, she looked like a collected CEO of a billion dollar company. She stepped out of the elevator with her confident swagger and signature smirk. She winked at a receptionist as she passed earning a flustered blush and a shy smile. When she reached the conference room, she thrust the doors open and confidently strolled in pretending she didn’t care that she was almost an hour late. People expected it of her at this point, right?

“So nice of you to join us, Ms. Woods,” Titus scolded her exasperatedly, and she flashed him a Colgate smile as she took her seat at the head of the conference table. She glanced at Gustus who rolled his eyes, but said nothing.

“Oh Titus, if I was on time, who would you blame your bald head and stomach ulcers on?” She asked as a leggy blonde placed a cup of coffee in front of her. “Thank you,” she crooned with a wink. The blonde raised her eyebrow, but looked flattered none-the-less. “What did I miss?” she asked as she looked at the rest of the board with an expectant stare.

……….

Clarke arrived at the café that her mother had picked right on time. She was irritated that she had to leave the hospital for something she figured would be unimportant to her. At least this way, she was going to get to sit down and have a hot meal for lunch. She walked up to the hostess at the desk, “I’m here to have lunch with Dr. Abby Griffin.”

“Ah, of course,” the hostess said with a smile, “Dr. Griffin is already here. I’ll take you straight to your table. Right this way.” The hostess led Clarke through the small but fancy café. There was tasteful art decorating the walls, soft jazz music playing quietly, and the tables and chairs had a subtle expensive look. Clarke rolled her eyes. Her mother always had to have the best. She would have been fine with a burger from the hospital cafeteria.

“Hello, darling,” Abby stood and hugged Clarke briefly as she reached the table. Abby was dressed in a smart, black dress and pumps with a single string of pearls around her neck. Her nails were manicured and every blondish-brown hair was in place. Clarke suddenly felt underdressed in her silk blouse and black pencil skirt. “You look tired,” her mother said as she brushed a golden strand of hair out of Clarke’s face, “are you sleeping properly?”

“I’m fine, Mom,” Clarke sighed, “what is all of this about?” Abby’s smile faltered and she took a step back. She made a sweeping motion with her hand signaling for Clarke to have a seat.

“Let’s order our food and drinks and then we will get down to business,” Abby said sensing that her daughter was not in a social mood. She motioned for the waiter, who quickly rushed over to the pair. Abby placed her order, and Clarke said that she would have the same. The waiter bowed to them and promised to get the order put in right away. Once the waiter was gone, Clarke looked at her mother with a quirked brow signaling for her to tell her why she had been summoned to this lunch. Abby smiled sweetly as she began, “Clarke, darling, I asked you to have lunch with me today, because I have a favor to ask of you. As you know, the hospital is in dire need of funding and we are quickly falling into danger where finances are concerned. To help remedy the situation, Director Jaha and I, as well as the rest of the board, have decided to allow an investor to come in and make a few changes.”

“You what?!” Clarke exclaimed and caused several other patrons to glance in their direction.

“Keep your voice down,” Abby said sternly. “We really have no choice at this point. If things keep heading in this direction, we will have to shut the hospital down. I know you don’t want that. Having a successful investor give us support and advice could save us.”

Clarke was seething. Of course her mother would bring her here to tell her that she was basically selling the hospital. “Have you even tried anything else? Fund raiser? Charity drives?” Clarke drilled her, “or are you just that ready to flush Dad’s work down the drain?” That was a low blow. She saw the array of emotions flash across her mother’s face.

“Clarke, there is no one that wants to see the hospital thrive more than me, or did you forget that your father isn’t the only one that poured his life and soul into it?” Abby defended, “I am trying to do what is best for everyone. If we don’t get some kind of financial support, the hospital will go under within a year.” Abby dropped her gaze. Clarke thought she saw her mother fight back tears, but she quickly gained control. She was always in control.

Clarke felt guilty for snapping. She reached across the table and took her mother’s hand regretting her earlier words. Her mother looked up at her and she offered a small half smile. “Mom, I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. I still don’t understand how I can help with this. I’m just a trauma surgeon,” she stated.

“You’re much more than that, Clarke. Everyone at that hospital respects you as their leader, which is why I have decided that I want you to work hand-in-hand with our investor. You know what we need on the floor. You know what upgrades and staffing is needed, and you’re a brilliant advocate,” Abby complimented.

Clarke gave her mother a suspicious look, “Why do I get the feeling something is coming that I am not going to like?”

Abby gave another sheepish grin, “The investor that is looking into the hospital is Trikru Industries. We have a meeting with the CEO at the end of the week to discuss our vision for the future of the hospital, and I want you to be there.” Abby gulped as she saw Clarke’s face turn red again.

“Trikru Industries?!” Clarke whisper-shouted, trying not to make a scene, “You are turning you and Dad’s life work, not to mention the work of hundreds of others, over to the likes of Lexa Woods?! She’s nothing but a spoiled, rich, alcoholic playgirl who spends just as much time in trouble as she does in the office!” Clarke had read articles about one, Alexandria Woods. The woman was always in some sort of tabloid for some scandal.

“I understand that Ms. Woods’s behavior is questionable at times, but despite her extracurricular activities, her company is quite successful. I mean they own half of the city, Clarke. She has calmed down considerably within the last few years. Besides, the company is largely run by her CFO Gustus Woods,” Abby said soothingly.

“Her company is successful because of her parents!” Clarke seethed, “Lexa Woods couldn’t stay sober long enough to run a company!” Clarke couldn’t deny that Trikru Industries had enough money to give them everything they needed and more, but the thought of that spoiled menace running her father’s hospital made her sick at her stomach. She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands. Clarke took a moment to consider what her mother was offering. At least if she served as some sort of ambassador she would have a say in the changes that were made at the hospital. “If I agree to go with you, what does that entail?”

A large grin spread across Abby’s face, “Honestly, I had hoped to leave most of it to you. Director Jaha and I will be there for the first meeting to hash things out, but after that we want you to take the reins with this one. We know that you know what is best for the hospital. We trust you to steer Lexa in the right direction.”

“You think I can charm her into doing what I want, in other words,” Clarke scoffed.

“You can be rather convincing when you put your mind to something,” Abby confessed.

Clarke considered her options, again. She could turn her mother down, but then she would have no say in any changes that might be made. If she accepted, she would have to work with probably the most notorious party girl in Polis which made her head hurt just thinking about it. She decided that she couldn’t let the fate of her father’s hospital fall solely into the hands of Lexa Woods. If she agreed to work with her, at least she could control what Lexa did to an extent. With an exhausted sigh she conceded, “Fine, I’ll be your ambassador to Trikru Industries. Fill me in on everything that you have discussed with them so far.” Abby’s grin grew even wider.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, I decided to go ahead and upload this chapter because I won't be at work to do it on Monday. Yay Memorial Day! I may continue updating at least twice a week because I'm moving pretty fast. As always, let me know what you like and don't like because not only am I wanting to write a great Clexa superhero AU but also become a better writer in the process. Have a good weekend!

Chapter 3

The masked man set up his drill in front of the large bank vault. He locked the legs in place and put the drill bit at the exact spot he would need a hole in order to blow the vault’s lock. Two men in matching gorilla masks stood guard at his back, watching for any other security or signs of law enforcement. They had taken out the two security guards upon entry and stopped the silent alarm before it could dial out to the authorities. He turned on the drill and began applying pressure willing it to cut into the massive door’s outer wall. His partners paced impatiently behind him making him more nervous than necessary. “Hey, could you two settle down? You’re making me nervous. We took the guards out for Christ’s sake,” he said gruffly.

“Just hurry up man,” said one of his accomplices as he nervously looked out over the bank again, “I just wanna get this over with.”

“Almost there,” said the man at the vault as he stopped drilling and extracted the bit from the hole in the door. “Give me the bomb.” One of his accomplices fished the bomb, a glass cylinder containing an explosive purplish liquid, from a backpack and tried to gingerly hand it to the driller. His hands were shaking badly, and he nearly dropped the cylindrical tube holding the explosives. The man with the drill reacted quick enough to catch the bomb before it hit the floor. “What the hell, dipshit! Get it together! If that had hit the floor it would have blown us all sky high!”

“I’m sorry!” the accomplice defended but he was cut off by the sound of his walkie coming to life.

“This is Ape2 to Ape1,” came the voice through the walkie, “what’s your status?”

“Tell him we’re almost there. 10 more minutes. Have the van ready at the back entrance,” instructed the man at the vault door as he placed the bomb in the hole he had made. He set the detonator and took a few steps back. As long as the blast was inside the vault door, it shouldn’t cause too much damage or draw too much attention.

“Ape2 this is Ape1. Deploying the bomb now. Have the van ready in 10 minutes,” said the shaky accomplice.

“Roger that,” came the voice through the walkie, “make it as quick as possible. We have some movement on the East side of the building.”

“Want to be a little more specific?” said the accomplice in a panicked voice.

“Can’t,” came the reply,” didn’t get a good look. Could have been a raccoon or some other type of animal, but don’t want to take any chances.” The masked men watched the detonator on the bomb countdown to one and then a faint blast signaled that the lock had been disabled. The vault door swung open revealing stacks of money inside ripe for the taking.

“Fine. We’re in. Just get the van to the back entrance,” barked the accomplice as he placed his walkie back on his belt and grabbed a large duffle bag. The three masked men rushed into the vault and started stuffing stacks of money into their bags. They worked with a determined efficiency. Once they had all the cash they could carry, they quickly made their way out of the vault. They hurriedly picked up their supplies and prepared to make their escape.

“I was unaware the bank was allowing withdrawals after hours,” came a commanding voice from up above. The three men paused and looked up at the second story balcony.

“The Commander!” the nervous accomplice shouted, pointing to the vigilante. Before they could fully realize who had caught them, the Commander fired a hook into the ceiling from a grappling gun and swung down to the first floor colliding feet first into one of the robbers upon landing, knocking him to the ground.

“Shit! Run!” barked the man who had drilled into the bank door, but the Commander had pulled a dagger from her thigh and threw it at his other accomplice catching him in the shoulder causing him to howl in pain and drop his duffle. The man she had collided into jumped up from the floor and took a swing at the back of the Commander’s head. She realized at the last minute and skillfully dodged the attempt, landing a blow of her own to the man’s stomach. He grunted and stumbled backwards. While her attention was on the accomplice the man who had drilled into the vault door had pulled out a bow and arrow and aimed it at the vigilante. She saw it in her peripheral vision and quickly dived out of the way as he loosed an arrow in her direction. She landed harder than she expected, knocking the breath out of her lungs. The man took the opportunity to pull some type of grenade from his pack and throw it in her direction. It went off almost immediately filling the area with some sort of gray smoke. It filled her lungs and burned her eyes. She started coughing uncontrollably, and quickly covered her nose and mouth with her arm. “Now you idiots! Run before she can catch up!” she heard a gruff voice shout followed by scrambling footsteps. She struggled to get to her feet, and finally stumbled out of the fog heading in the direction she thought she heard them run. Her vision was blurry, eyes watering, but she ran toward the sound of the men escaping.

“Anya!” she shouted into a mouthpiece on her coat between coughing fits, pushing her legs to go faster as she tried to catch up to the bank thieves, “I need eyes on them! What way are they heading?” She heard a door slam to the right and veered in that direction.

“I’m trying,” came a voice in her ear, “but they disabled all of the security cameras. I can’t get past the defenses to bring them back up!” Lexa picked up the pace running as fast as she could through the bank toward the back exit. She rounded a corner and caught a glimpse of a duffle, but a blunt object came swinging out from behind a false wall catching her right across the head and knocking her to the ground with a grunt. Her attacker didn’t stay to confront her, but dashed off in the direction of the other man with the duffle bag. “Lexa?” came the voice in her ear again, “Lexa! What was that?!”

Lexa hissed and touched her head to check for blood, “Damn bastard hit me in the head with something. I’m alright, just get me eyes on them,” she grunted as she got to her feet once again and continued her pursuit. She reached the back door of the bank just in time to catch a glimpse of a black van speeding off into the night. “Damn it! Anya!” she exclaimed furiously rubbing at her aching forehead.

“Don’t get too upset just yet,” Anya said with a teasing tone to her voice, “I got an image of a license plate from a security camera across the street as they were driving away.”

Lexa put her hands on her hips trying to steady her racing heart and sighed, “Well, at least it wasn’t a total bust. Did you happen to get a shot of any of them? They were all wearing gorilla masks, how weird is that?”

“Unfortunately, no,” came the answer.

“Of course not,” she grumbled, “I’m heading home. Call our friend, Detective Indra at Polis P.D., I’m sure she’ll want to know that Polis National Bank has been robbed.”

“Oh joy,” Anya responded sarcastically, “be careful coming home, Commander.”  
……………  
Clarke slumped against the door of her apartment, glad to finally be home after another grueling day at the hospital. She felt stretched so thin that she might snap if even one more thing was added to her very full plate. She had attended meeting after meeting with the board for the last two days preparing for the impending interaction with Trikru Industries and their notorious CEO. To Clarke, it felt more like they were preparing for a war council than a meeting to discuss investment strategies. She had learned that while Lexa was known for sleeping around and getting arrested for drunk driving, she was also a ruthless business woman. She, with the help of her Uncle Gustus and her legal advisor Titus, had almost doubled her parent’s assets and holdings. Clarke suddenly felt overwhelmed. She thought she would be dealing with a spoiled idiot not a business world conqueror.

“Rough day, Princess?” said a smirking Latina that was perched at the island in the apartment’s kitchen. Raven Reyes. Raven had been Clarke’s best friend since her junior year of college when they had unknowingly dated the same boy. When they found out about each other, they had vowed to make his life a living hell and had been inseparable ever since. Raven had a brilliant mind and was one of the best Systems Analyst in the business. She had graduated top of her class from Stanford University. Raven had landed a job at Trikru Industries last year when they had launched an initiative to improve communications for military personnel stationed in remote locations. Most of what Raven worked on was highly classified, but she apparently also kept the computers at the company itself up and running and was therefore an invaluable member of the team.

“Yes, actually,” Clarke replied with a grin, rolling her eyes at the nickname, “preparing for your boss’s hostile takeover of the hospital. Trikru is looking into investing so the hospital can stay up on its feet. Now, pour me something strong to drink.”

Raven laughed and pulled a couple of shot glasses from the cupboard before grabbing the tequila from the counter. “I heard about that,” she said as she poured the liquid into the glasses and handed one to Clarke, “I meant to ask you about it, but we never seem to be home at the same time.” Clarke and Raven had shared an apartment since graduating from college and moving back to Polis. Their increasingly busy schedules had caused them to see less and less of each other.

“The hospital is in extremely dire need of funding, and Lexa Woods is apparently our last hope,” Clarke informed her. “My mother seems to think that I’ll do the best job of convincing Ms. Woods of what we will need.” She tossed back the shot of tequila and made a face as it burned its way down her throat warming her belly.

Raven chuckled again before tossing her shot back, barely making a face. “Lexa isn’t all that bad, not that I have had much interaction with her. They mostly keep me locked up in the basement with the computers, but if you need money, she definitely has plenty of it. She’s at least pretty to look at,” Raven teased with a wink.

“I don’t care how attractive she is,” Clarke grimaced, “Lexa Woods is nothing but a menace who’s lucky that her parents were business masterminds and taught her the tricks of the trade. How am I supposed to trust someone with her reputation not to ruin everything that my parents, my father, worked so hard to accomplish? Ton D.C. needs that hospital, Raven.”

“All I’m saying is that maybe you are jumping the gun. Lexa is pragmatic, and she is involved with a lot of projects that help Polis. Not to mention, her life hasn’t been all sunshine and roses. She’s an orphan in case you forgot, and there was that whole incident a few years back with the girl she was dating being murdered, yet somehow she’s still managed to keep her parents company running. Hell, she’s made it better. Who can blame her if she has slept with a few extra people and gotten some DUIs along the way?” Raven reasoned. “This might be the best thing to happen to the hospital in a long time.” Raven stopped her rant and looked up at her best friend. Clarke seemed to be deep in thought. She hadn’t been aware of the personal hardships the CEO had faced. It gave her pause in her hasty judgment. Raven snapped her fingers a few times, “Hello, earth to Griffin?”

“Hm,” Clarke seemed to break from her thoughts with a sigh, “maybe you’re right. I just don’t want everything to crash and burn.”

Raven walked out from behind the island and wrapped her arms around her friend, “Hey, everything is going to be just fine. Now, let’s go watch some mind-numbing show on Netflix and pig out on pizza.” Clarke relaxed into the embrace and allowed herself to be comforted. Maybe Raven was right and the support from Trikru Industries was just the thing to get the hospital back on its feet. One thing Clarke knew for certain, she wouldn’t let it go down without a fight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys had a great long weekend! Who is ready for a Clexa meeting?

Chapter 4

She sat still and tried not to blink as Nyko shined the light into her eyes checking to make sure that her pupils were responsive. “Do you feel any dizziness, nausea, headache?” he asked as he grabbed her chin examining the bump on her head. Nyko was her head of security. He had survived two tours in Afghanistan and had field medic training which seemed to come in handy working for the vigilante CEO. He was tall and broad with ocean blue eyes and the most impressive beard Lexa had ever seen.

“Of course I have a headache, Nyko,” she groused, “a big oaf decided to bat me about the head, but no to the dizziness and nausea.” Anya snickered behind her causing Nyko to roll his eyes. He tapped her knee caps checking her reflexes and snapped his fingers beside each ear making sure her hearing was unaffected.

“There doesn’t seem to be any sign of concussion, but keep the ice on that bump. It’s gonna be a nasty one. The smoke from the grenade really irritated your eyes. They’ll probably be sensitive for the next few days. Other than that, you seem to be mostly unscathed,” he affirmed satisfied with his diagnosis.

“Fantastic!” Lexa said as she jumped down from the table she had been sitting on. She walked over to the computer where Anya was furiously typing, “Is this the image of the van?” Anya nodded in the affirmative. Lexa examined the photo and sighed, “no distinctive marks, no dents, no notable decals. How is this supposed to help anyone?”

“The license plate, dummy,” Anya smirked, “it is plain as day in the photograph. I’m trying to run a check to see if I can find who it is registered to, but I’m not the greatest at this computer stuff. I’m much better at bashing in skulls. I don’t need to remind you who taught you everything you know, do I?”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Lexa smiled teasingly at her mentor, “too bad the student has surpassed the teacher.” She quickly ducked to avoid a smack in the face. “It’s fine. I think I know someone who can help us out in that department.” She hit the print button and grabbed the image of the van before heading to the stairs. “You know something else weird?” she said with a scrunched up face as she examined the image of the van, “one of the men, I think he was the leader, used a bow and arrow.”

Anya looked up with a surprised look, “Why in the world would he use a bow and arrow? The other men had guns.”

“An excellent question,” Lexa let out an exhausted sigh, “I have to get to bed. I have that huge meeting with Ark Memorial tomorrow and Gustus will murder me if I’m late. I want you to keep an eye out for any other break-ins. Alert me of any break-ins of significance. I have a feeling that we haven’t seen the last of them.”

……….

Clarke was nervous. Nervous was an understatement. She felt like everything she had ate for the past two weeks was ready to come back out. Her palms were sweaty, and she was having a hard time focusing on anything but her rapidly beating heart. Her mother placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as they entered the massive tower that housed Trikru Industries. Clarke was intimidated immediately. The inside was as clean and harsh as the hard panes of glass that made up the outside. Modern, expensive furniture and art decorated the expansive lobby. Young, attractive men and women rushed from one meeting to the other in fancy, tailored business suits. Clarke followed her mother, Director Jaha, and Marcus Kane, another member of the board, to the front desk. Director Jaha walked up to the gorgeous receptionist and greeted her with a charming smile, “Hello, we are here for a meeting with Ms. Woods. We’re from Ark Memorial hospital.”

The receptionist smiled professionally and clicked a few keys on her keyboard, “Ah, yes here you are. Ms. Woods is already waiting for you. Take the elevator to the top floor. Gustus should be waiting for you when you reach the top.” She held out her manicured hand pointing them in the right direction. Director Jaha smiled again and nodded his head in thanks as the group headed toward the elevator. A large, stoic security guard passed a wand over them before they were allowed to board. He nodded a gruff consent once they had all been checked. Clarke tried to get control of her breathing as the elevator ascended higher and higher. There was a ding signaling that they had reached their destination, and Clarke tried to swallow the lump in her throat. The doors slid back and revealed another large man dressed in an expensive suit. His eyes were dark and serious, and his long hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. The sides of his head were shaved, and a thick beard covered most of his face. He looked like some Viking warrior had decided to up and be a business man. Clarke felt even smaller.

He gave them a friendly smile and greeted, “Hello, my name is Gustus Woods. I serve as CFO here at Trikru Industries.” He stuck his large hand out in greeting.

“Thelonious Jaha,” Director Jaha said warmly taking his hand, “these are my colleagues Dr. Abby Griffin and Chairman Marcus Kane.” Gustus shook each person’s hand as they were introduced. “And this is Dr. Clarke Griffin. Our head trauma surgeon and Dr. Griffin’s daughter. They’ve both dedicated their lives to our work.” Clarke noticed Gustus smile again as his giant paw engulfed hers in a firm handshake.

“It’s nice to meet you all,” he said in a friendly yet reserved tone, “if you’ll all follow me, I’ll take you to the conference room to meet Ms. Woods, and we will get down to business.” They fell in step behind the large man. They passed countless offices and receptionist desks. There was comfier looking furniture on this floor. It was littered here and there along with several tasteful breaks areas. Everything looked very clean and polished as if someone came right along behind you and wiped away any evidence that you were ever there. Clarke noted that nearly everyone that worked in the building looked like some sort of super model or professional athlete. She wondered if strenuous diet and exercise were requirements for the job. They finally reached their destination. Gustus opened the door to the conference room and held it open politely as they all entered. Clarke gasped internally when her eyes fell on the figure that rose from the chair at the head of the massive conference table. When Raven had said “pretty to look at” she had really been under-selling. Lexa Woods stood and greeted them with a dashing smile that stole Clarke’s breath. She looked like she had just stepped out of a Forbes magazine photoshoot. She was dressed in a white suit shirt that was perfectly tailored to her lean body, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. The top buttons of the shirt were undone, revealing a slender neck and impressive clavicles. A pair of skinny suspenders rested on her strong shoulders and connected to her fitted black slacks. Each piece of clothing hugged the CEO in just the right places, showing off a muscular physique. Smart, black pumps adorned her feet adding to her height. Her chestnut hair fell in loose curls and framed a smooth, tanned face. Emerald eyes peered playfully at Clarke.

“….and this is my daughter, Dr. Clarke Griffin. Our head trauma surgeon,” Abby’s announcement of her name broke her from her trance and she realized she had been staring. Lexa had shook hands with the board member’s and now stood before her extending a hand to her with an amused quirk to her perfectly shaped brow. She took it with a daze and shook. Strong and warm. Clarke felt a hint of déjà vu, and quickly looked up at the CEO, but she had turned and walked back toward her seat.

“So you’re the one that will be helping guide my decisions were the hospital is concerned?” came the CEO’s sultry voice. It was like velvet that caressed Clarke’s ears in all the right ways.

“You’re the one that is taking over my parent’s life work?” Clarke retorted. She was still feeling miffed about the whole situation. She didn’t care that Lexa might be the most gorgeous being she had ever seen, this woman was going to potentially have the power to destroy everything. Clarke saw the charming smile on Lexa’s face falter, but she didn’t take the bait. She simply cleared her throat before motioning for all of them to take a seat.

“Do you have a proposal for me, Director Jaha?” her eyes lingered on Clarke for a split second longer before shifting to the director.

…………

Lexa was having a hard time concentrating on what the director was saying. It didn’t really matter. She already knew what her offer was going to be, but she thought it might be better accepted if she gave the other party the chance to speak first. Her eyes were still scratchy from the night before, and her head was pounding relentlessly to the beat of her heart. Not to mention, she had been taken by surprise when she saw a familiar blonde walk into the room. She quickly placed her as the girl from the alley a few nights ago. There’s no way she could forget those impossibly blue eyes or kissable pink lips. Thankfully, she had been able to school her expression and not give away any hint that she recognized the beautiful doctor. She thought she had almost given herself away when they shook hands and a flash of something ran across the doctor’s face. She had quickly turned and retreated to keep the doctor from getting a better look.

“In conclusion, I think that we could make a good start with 10 million. We could replace our equipment, make necessary updates to the facility, and hire much needed help,” Director Jaha concluded his speech. Lexa had noticed how the man’s coal black eyes sparkled mischievously, and his smile reminded her of a predator. Her jaw tensed at the implication that she was just going to hand over that much money. She had done some research on this Director Thelonious Jaha and had not liked what she found. He encouraged the staff to discharge patients before they were recovered and under-staffed his hospital stating that there were not enough funds to hire new doctors. However, his bonus each year was quite substantial.

“I’m sure that it would make a good start,” Lexa said in a strained tone. Gustus caught her attention, willing her to be calm with his eyes.

Chairman Kane realized that the CEO had been offended and quickly offered, “We would make these changes with your guidance, of course.”

“Of course,” Lexa repeated rising from her chair. She paced over to the window and gazed down at the city. She wanted her next words to be delivered with cool confidence, so she paused for a beat to allow her anger to subside. With a deep breath she continued, “To be completely transparent, I have had Gustus look into the hospital’s finances over the last few years. You have money being paid out to unknown accounts, pharmacy drugs disappearing with no explanation, equipment being sold but the hospital never seeing a penny of the profit, and the list goes on.” She turned to face the three gaping members of the board, “I have decided that investing in your hospital is not a wise decision to make.”

“You’re backing out?” Abby asked in a panic. Lexa noticed the younger Dr. Griffin’s eyes snap up to her, worry and surprise etched all over her perfect face. Lexa swallowed hard and willed herself not to falter.

“On the contrary, Dr. Griffin,” Lexa crossed her arms across her chest, “I’m making you a new deal. Instead of simply investing my money into the sinking ship that is your hospital, I will buy it out-right. Gustus will take over the finances, and Trikru Industries will make the necessary changes to get the hospital back on its feet.”

“That is preposterous!” Jaha exclaimed rising from his chair and banging his fists on the table, eyes bugging out of his head. Gustus was on his feet immediately putting himself between the director and Lexa. She held up a hand signaling Gustus to stand down. The large man relaxed only slightly.

“What is preposterous, Director Jaha, is you thinking that I would blindly hand you money when the financial situation at that hospital has been in a steady decline for the last 5 years,” Lexa stated in a calm commanding way.

“We are doing the best that we can! We are trying to help the people of Ton D.C.!” Abby defended. The atmosphere in the room had become thick with emotions. Lexa chanced a look at Clarke who sat with her eyes downcast toward the table and a scowl on her face.

“And I am not threatening to shut you down,” Lexa said, “but if my money is going to be involved then I will make sure that it is not swindled away.” At this comment Director Jaha visibly took a step forward, and Lexa dropped her hands down into a defensive stance.

“Alright,” came Chairman Kane’s voice. He grabbed Director Jaha’s arm, “It’s clear to see that we need to take a little break. Ms. Woods, would you allow us a small recess to grab some fresh air and talk about your offer?” Lexa’s eyes met the chairman’s; they were sincere and kind. She allowed herself to relax and gave a slight nod of her head. “Great, I say we take about 30 minutes, grab some water, and reconvene with calmer heads.” Everyone relaxed a little bit more, and Abby, Marcus, and Thelonious gathered their things to go talk about the offer elsewhere. Lexa’s keen eyes watched them leave. She was suddenly aware of blue eyes on her, and her gaze shifted to Clarke who was making her way over to Lexa with a determined look on her face. Lexa tensed and stood up straighter, clasping her hands behind her back and jutting her chin out in a show of dominance. Despite her outward show of power, the butterflies in her stomach fluttered about relentlessly. Lexa knew what Clarke was going to say before the words ever formed in her mouth.

“You would plead for nothing,” the CEO said calmly, emerald eyes meeting sky blue, “you cannot stop this.” Clarke was looking at her with a look of disgust and distrust, and it broke Lexa’s heart that this was the reaction she elicited from this blonde goddess.

“No,” sighed the blonde doctor, “only you can. Show the board your true power. Show them that you can be merciful. That you want to help and not just conquer. Show them you’re not a money-hungry savage.” Lexa’s eyes darted between Clarke and Gustus as the doctor’s words stabbed into her heart. She wanted nothing more than to brush her hand against the doctor’s cheek and promise her that everything would be fine, but she knew that she could not show weakness.

“We are what we are,” she replied in a quiet voice and turned from Clarke before rushing from the conference room, leaving the blonde doctor in her wake. It would be easier this way. It would be easier to let Clarke hate her……….wouldn’t it?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! As always let me know what you guys think!

Chapter 5

  
Lexa prowled her way to the elevator causing everyone to dash out of her way. No one wanted a confrontation with the powerful CEO when she was in this state of mind. She slammed her finger into the elevator button furiously, trying to calm her racing thoughts. She hadn’t meant to get emotional, but the tone and the mischievous glint in Jaha’s eyes had gotten the better of her. On top of that, the gorgeous, blonde doctor had called her a savage which cut her deeper than she would like to admit. The elevator dinged signaling she had reached her destination. She walked down a long hallway and stopped in front of a door labeled “Maintenance”. She paused and took a few breathes willing her nerves to calm. Replacing her grimace with her signature, playful smirk, she entered the room. At first, she was greeted with emptiness. She looked around the room trying to spy the person she was seeking. Then she heard a small grunt from the corner followed by a crash and frustrated “Son of a Bitch!” She walked around several desks with computer parts and tools strewn about and stumbled across a flustered Latina rubbing her head and sending a death glare toward a computer monitor.

  
“Raven Reyes?” the CEO tested looking at the frazzled systems analyst with concern. The Latina jumped at the sound of her voice and wacked her head on the desk holding the computer monitor for, what Lexa assumed, was the second time in the last five minutes. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. Is your head okay?”

  
Raven jumped to her feet quickly trying to hide the blush on her face, “My head? Couldn’t hurt that if you threw a brick at it.” She finally looked at her guest and her eyes widened in surprise, “Ms. Woods? What are you doing down here? Are you lost?”

  
Lexa smiled warmly and chuckled, “Not quite. I was actually looking for you.”

  
Raven had a shocked look on her face again, “For me? What on Earth for?” A panicked look crossed her face, “Are you firing me? Because I can fix the computer I swear.”

  
“No, no nothing like that,” Lexa paused and looked at the computer the Latina had been working on, “is that particular computer of greater value? Should I fire you?” Her question was teasing.

  
“What?” Raven backtracked, “That dusty old thing, its fine. We’re all fine. To what do I owe the honor?”

  
Lexa eyed her in mock suspicion which Raven answered with a sheepish grin. The CEO continued, “I had a bit of trouble on the way to work this morning. A black van side swiped me on the freeway and didn’t have the decency to pull over and trade information.” She pulled the license plate number from her pant pocket and handed it to Raven, “I hear that you are quite good with a computer, so I was hoping you could run a scan. Find out who the van is registered to and maybe get me their information.”

  
“Yikes! Sure, give me just a second,” Raven retreated to a different computer and started typing, “You know this might not be completely legal right?”

  
“I won’t tell, if you won’t,” Lexa responded, winking conspiratorially.

  
The systems analyst blushed and went back to typing. Lexa stood there quietly observing the dark haired girl. Raven must have gotten uncomfortable because she tried to make small talk, “So, how are things going with Ark Memorial? Is Clarke giving you a hard time?” Lexa’s face fell and Raven quickly added, “Sorry, was I not supposed to know? You don’t have to tell me.”

  
“You know Clarke?” Lexa felt strange using the girl’s first name. She hardly knew her, but she felt like a part of her wanted to know the doctor with the golden hair and cerulean eyes. Too bad Clarke was probably going to hate her after today, but Lexa had to do what was right for her company.

  
“Uh, yeah,” Raven looked as if she was considering something and then added, “We’re roommates. She’s been freaking out over this meeting all week. The hospital is special to her.”

  
Lexa looked to be deep in thought for a second, a frown creasing her perfect brow. “It’s not going as well as I’d hoped,” was all she offered. She wanted to help Clarke and the hospital, but as the CEO of a successful company she couldn’t justify simply investing in the financially unsound establishment. The entire financial system would need to be reworked, and the only way she could truly do that was by taking complete ownership.

  
Raven looked up briefly, pausing in her typing, “Just try to take it easy on her. Her dad put his whole life into that hospital.” The pair fell into silence. Raven finally let out a triumphant sound, “The van isn’t registered to a person. It’s registered to a company. Black’s Cleaning Services. Looks like they were a cleaning service for corporations, banks, office buildings, that kind of stuff.” Her brows furrowed and she typed some more, “This is weird. The business went under two years ago. The owner, Samuel Black, declared bankruptcy.”

  
Lexa made a mental note of all the information being thrown at her. A cleaning company for banks and professional buildings, how convenient. “You got all of that from a license plate number?” she asked surprised.

  
Raven grabbed a piece of paper and jotted something down. “What can I say? They don’t call me the best for nothing. Here’s the contact information. You aren’t going to hunt him down, are you?” she said with a teasing smile.

  
Lexa smiled brightly, “Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve been a big help, Raven. Thank you.”

  
Raven gave her a salute, “Anytime, boss.”

  
……………

  
Clarke sat in the empty conference room contemplating the options that where before her. She had a feeling that the board members would come back and refuse Lexa’s offer, but that meant that the hospital was doomed. If they agreed to Lexa’s offer, then Trikru Industries would have complete control. Had everything that Lexa said been true? Were there really that many discrepancies in the finances? Her head throbbed. She was so very tired. Tired of being stressed. Tired of being over-worked, and to be completely honest, tired of fighting. Maybe the best thing to do was hand the hospital over to Trikru. She thought of the mysterious CEO. Maybe she could win Lexa over. Convince her that the hospital was important and the people of Ton D.C. deserved proper medical care. Maybe with her brain and Lexa’s financial support they could not only save the hospital, but take it to the next level. The board member’s filed back into the conference rooms with determined looks on their faces, breaking Clarke from her thoughts. Abby gave Clarke a reassuring grin and settled back down in her seat. Gustus made an appearance a few minutes later giving them all a hard look, “Ms. Woods is ready to talk.”

  
Clarke watched Lexa stalk into the room. She was all cool confidence and practiced grace. Her earlier anger seemed to be replaced by a stoic indifference. She took her seat at the head of the table, looking every bit like a Greek goddess. “You have heard my offer,” she announced regally, “what say you?” She pinned the board member’s with an intimidating stare as she raised her chin and sat straight in her chair.

  
Marcus Kane was the one to address the CEO, “No, no we’ve offered enough. The hospital should be ran by Dr. Griffin and the original founders. They’ve poured their life into this work.”

  
Lexa cut him off, “Life’s work or not, Chairman Kane, the fact stands that your finances are unsound. There is corruption in your midst. I intend to right this corruption…”

  
“You intend to bully your way into owning yet another significant establishment in this city,” Jaha exclaimed angrily, “You’re nothing but a business world savage!” This struck a nerve in Lexa. Clarke watched her face change from that of a stoic, collected statue to a burning fiery storm.

  
“You have not seen my savagery!” Lexa bellowed jumping to her feet, eyes wild.

  
“We’ll do it,” Clarke said quickly, her voice monotone, trying to gain some sort of control over the situation. Lexa’s furious eyes fell on her and immediately softened. Her beautiful features began to smooth out from their scowl. She seemed confused. The board member’s mouths dropped open. Clarke swallowed thickly trying to hang on to her new found bravery. She breathed in deeply and met Lexa’s piercing gaze, “But when you take over, we talk about how to save the hospital. We talk about how to help the people of Ton D.C.” Clarke looked at the board members daring them to speak again. They said nothing. Her mother looked defeated. Jaha was seething. Kane just seemed confused by the turn of events. She returned her gaze to Lexa who was unreadable. She saw Lexa’s jaw flex several times as the CEO roped her emotions back in.

  
Lexa sat back in her chair and crossed her hands in her lap. She gazed at Clarke coolly, “We want the same things, Clarke.” When Lexa said her name, a chill went down her spine. She couldn’t decide if it was from fear or the way the CEO had pronounced every syllable perfectly, clicking her tongue sharply on the K of her name.

  
“Good,” she snapped, “when does the process begin?”

  
“Now,” Lexa stood from her chair, “Gustus will draw up the necessary documents. Titus will make sure that everything is handled legally.” Lexa had been addressing everyone, but for her next sentence she looked directly at Clarke. “You may choose a few others to help you advise us of the hospital’s needs,” and just like that she placed the power in Clarke’s hands…well to an extent. Lexa stalked out of the conference room with the same cool confidence.

  
“Clarke,” Abby looked at her with pleading eyes, “we don’t have to do this.”

  
“Yes we do,” Clarke said numbly, not fully meeting her mother’s eyes, “if this doesn’t work, then all of our hard work, all of dad’s hard work, will have been for nothing.”

  
“Clarke’s right,” this was Marcus Kane, “we need to do this. Trikru’s financial support is the only way the hospital will survive.”

  
“I don’t think Trikru knows what simple support is. They don’t understand how vital the hospital is to the community,” Abby said growing irritated.

  
“Ms. Woods does,” Kane answered.

  
“She’s a child,” Abby reasoned referring to Lexa’s youth, “the company is being led by a child.” At 26, Lexa was the youngest CEO in the city’s history to run a billion dollar company.

  
Marcus Kane looked over his shoulder at Clarke, the young doctor barely out of her residency, “So are we.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Thanks for all the Kudos and Comments so far. I love hearing what you guys think and knowing that you are enjoying the story.

Chapter 6

The Commander steered her sleek black Vyrus down a dark side street, following the directions that her GPS spouted into her ear. She was glad for the distraction. She had been anxious and upset ever since the meeting with Ark Memorial two days ago. She had meant for it to go much smoother, but she had accomplished what she wanted in the end. Something about Clarke, the way she looked defeated, had cut into Lexa. It had made her want to reach out to the doctor, reassure her. It was a feeling that she did not understand nor did she want to consider. She had run from the conference room as soon as she could, trying to escape the strange pull that she felt for the doctor. Investigating this address Raven had provided would be the perfect thing to help her forget. She needed to throw herself into something. If she was lucky, she might even get a fight. The GPS signaled that she had arrived at her destination. She came to a stop in front of a run-down shop front. She killed the bike’s motor and dismounted smoothly. The street seemed to be deserted. She cautiously made her way to the door of the abandoned store front and peered through the window. 

The inside of the store-front was a mess. There were papers and old files strewn all over the floor. A few shabby desks sat on opposite sides of the room. Two old computers perched on each desk looking like they hadn’t been touched in decades. Lexa tried the door. Locked. She pulled a lock-pick from her belt and expertly inserted it into the lock. Within a few seconds, she was swinging the door open. She stepped inside and immediately grabbed the hilt of the sword at her side. She peered into the darkness willing her keen eyes to adjust. She knelt to examine some of the papers that littered the floor, but could find nothing of use. The store-front seemed to continue further back. She cautiously made her way deeper into its depths. She passed a few more offices, a bathroom, and what looked like a utility closet. There was no sign of anyone. She reached the back of the store-front and relaxed, thinking that the address had been a bust. She looked up and noticed a red exit sign at the back of the building. Thinking that she might as well give it a shot, she went to the door and shoved it open. The door lead to the alley behind the building. She looked around the alley and was about to give up when she spotted it. There, parked in a crevice, was a jet black utility van. A triumphant smirk crossed her face as she slinked over to the van. She cupped her hands around her eyes and leaned forward to look into its window when…..

“Get her!” a bullet whizzed past her head shattering the glass she was about to touch. She whirled around immediately drawing the sword at her side. Four men were barreling towards her. She spotted the one with the gun getting ready to let loose another round. She grabbed a dagger from her thigh and launched it. The knife blade hit its mark expertly, knocking the man back causing him to drop the gun and fall to the ground. She dodged a sloppily thrown punch from the first man to reach her and sliced into his leg with her sword, sending him to his knees. She slammed the hilt of her sword into the side of his head knocking him unconscious. The second man that reached her was wielding a huge bowie knife. He lunged at her, thrusting the blade toward her face. She ducked to the left and then to the right as he pulled back and thrust at her again. She dropped her sword and caught the hand that held the knife on the second stab and pulled him close to her, grabbing his neck with her free hand and using her leverage to slam him against the van. She pulled him forward and slammed his head against the van one, two, three times until he slumped over and she dropped him to the ground. She heard the third man approaching and ducked just in time to miss a baseball bat to the back of the head. She scrambled to turn on him, but not before he could slam his knee into her ribs. She huffed and cried out at the impact. He took the opportunity to reach for a knife, but she recovered quickly. She blocked his slash and kicked her foot into his chest. He fell to the ground. She was on him in an instant, tip of her blade pressed into his throat. 

“Who do you work for?” she growled, teeth bared. He spat at her and smiled defiantly. She pressed harder breaking the skin on his neck, “Do not make me ask again.” Before he could answer, an arrow sliced through his head, silencing him permanently. Lexa stepped back in shock, scanning the alley. Her eyes found the attacker on the top of the building wearing what appeared to be a gorilla mask. He had drew his bow back ready to shoot again. She quickly jumped, but an arrow grazed her leg slicing through the material of her pants and the soft flesh of her thigh. She hit the ground with a thud and struggled to crawl behind the van. She quickly assessed the damage. Just a graze, not too deep, Nyko would be able to stitch it. She used the van to pull herself to her feet and limped to the peer around the side for her attacker. He had vanished.  
…………

Detective Octavia Blake stood up from her position over the dead man. Arrow through the head. That had to hurt. “Get him to the morgue,” she ordered, “I think we’ve gotten all we can.” She strolled over to where her partner was standing, barking orders at the EMTs who were loading one of the surviving suspects into a vehicle. She was glad that, for once, the woman’s anger wasn’t directed at her. Indra had a way of barking orders that made you want to pee your pants. She had been paired with Indra when she was promoted to detective a few months ago. The woman was highly respected at Polis P.D. She always solved her case, and Octavia was extremely honored to get the chance to work with her. “Everything ok?”

The older detective shot her a threatening glare, “Did you get everything squared away with the stiff?”

“Yeah, of course,” Octavia answered quickly, “everything is taken care of.”

“Then we’re done here,” Indra said resolutely and began walking back toward their police car. 

“This is pretty impressive work. It took someone with talent to put down that many men. Who do you think did it?” Octavia struggled to catch up, “Have you seen anything like this before?”

“It was the Commander,” Indra said without a doubt. 

“You think so?” Octavia asked with a furrowed brow. She knew of the Commander, everyone in Polis did, but she had never even gotten a glimpse of the vigilante. To be honest, she didn’t much care for the masked “hero” because the vigilante was not abiding by the law. She was taking the law into her own hands, often playing judge, jury, and sometimes executioner. “I thought she only attacked criminals.”

“Who said they were innocents?” Indra retorted with a knowing smirk.  
……….

“Ahhhhh! Take it easy, Nyko!” Lexa gritted out between clenched teeth. She sat stiffly on the table in just a black undershirt and her underwear. She felt exposed and embarrassed, but Nyko had insisted it was the only way he could properly clean the cut.

“This is what happens when you insist on parading around as a masked crime fighter,” Nyko gruffed as he plunged the needle into Lexa’s thigh once more. Lexa hissed again and gripped the edge of the table narrowing her eyes at her healer. He looked up at her with a raised eyebrow and a playful twinkle in his eye, but she only huffed and jutted her chin into the air. 

“Anya, please tell me you have something,” Lexa sighed painfully. She had managed to snatch the arrow that sliced into her leg from the crime scene before fleeing. She had wanted to check the men for I.D.s, but had to flee at the sound of sirens approaching. 

“Actually, I have some good news. This arrow is one of a kind. I ran the number stamped on the shaft, and it is for a company who makes specialized arrows. I bet if you butter up to your new I.T. friend, she could even track down who bought this particular one,” Anya grinned in triumph, “Also, I have been listening in to the police scanner and they took our friends from tonight to Ark Memorial Hospital for treatment. Perhaps, buying the hospital was a good investment after all.”

“It was a good investment, Anya,” Lexa said darkly, “The people of Ton D.C. need that hospital. I intend to help Clarke turn the hospital into the establishment that her and her father dreamed about.” 

“Easy there tiger,” Anya smirked, “who is this Clarke? And why are you being so defensive?”

Lexa schooled her features into neutrality. She honestly didn’t know why she had felt a surge of….something….when Anya mentioned the hospital. She had been able to put it out of her mind until now, but with the mention of the hospital’s name, the heavy emotions of the last few days came flooding back. She saw Clarke’s defeated features in her mind’s eye, those beautiful sky blue orbs filled with sadness as she had relented to Lexa’s demands. Her heart clinched at the thought that she had caused that sadness. “She’s the daughter of two of the original founders and head trauma surgeon at the hospital,” Lexa said nonchalantly, “We will be working together to make improvements. She is going to advise me on what the hospital needs.” 

“So you think she’s pretty?” Anya baited her.

“What?! NO!” Lexa defended quickly, too quickly. Anya smirked at her. Lexa rolled her eyes and huffed. Nyko had finished stitching her leg and wrapped a clean, white bandage around it. 

“How about we try to stay out of trouble at least for a few days?” he gave Lexa a hard look. She beamed up at him in a manner that suggested she would do no such thing. She hopped down from the table and limped over to where she had laid the arrow out. 

“Let’s hope,” she picked the arrow up and examined the dangerous looking tip, “With your help, Raven can find us some more answers.”  
………..

Clarke sat on their comfy, old couch with her head in her hands and lead in her heart. She felt like she had sold her soul to the devil. She tried to convince herself that it was necessary, that allowing Trikru to buy the hospital was a smart choice. Victory stands on the back of sacrifice. Raven sat a cold beer in front of her, plopping down on the couch beside the dejected blonde, rubbing her back for comfort, “That bad, huh?” She felt bad that this was the first chance she had gotten to talk to her best friend about the deal, but busy schedules often kept them apart. 

Clarke moaned and rolled over into Raven who enveloped her in a tight hug. “She took everything, Raven,” Clarke sobbed into the crook of her neck. “She demanded that the board let her buy the hospital, or back out of the arrangement altogether.”

Raven was surprised, “Really? She didn’t mention anything like that when I asked her.”

Clarke looked up at her friend in confusion, “You talked to her about it? I thought you never saw her.”

“Well she came down to the maintenance room that day,” Raven explained, “had me run some car tag. Said someone side swiped her on the way to work and didn’t stop. It was really weird. I asked her how the negotiation was going….she did say it wasn’t as smooth as she hoped.”

“That’s what she was doing while we were all scrambling to figure out what we were going to decide?!” Clarke was growing angry. Lexa had just been able to walk out and go right down to see Raven like nothing was even happening. She was worried about herself while the balance of everything Clarke and her parents had worked for hung in thin air. “What a monster. I bet she doesn’t lose a single once of sleep over it. Did she even seem the slightest bit upset?”

“No,” Raven conceded, “she seemed like her usually cocky, confident self.” Clarke gave another dejected whimper as she started crying again. Raven felt a surge of protectiveness well up inside her, “Hey, want me to kick her ass?” 

Clarke barked out a laugh, “No, I knew something like this would happen. What else would you expect? She’s heartless.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ready for some more action? Thanks for all of the kudos and comments that I have received so far! I love hearing what you guys think!

Chapter 7

Lexa pushed the door to the maintenance room open and stepped inside. She had a slight limp from the previous night’s injury, but she did her best to conceal it. She was greeted by the sight of Raven determinedly hunched over a mother board, tongue stuck out in concentration. The girl never even looked up when Lexa let the door close behind her. “Ehhmmm,” Lexa cleared her throat trying to get Raven’s attention. It didn’t work. Lexa took a few more steps into the room and ducked down a bit waving her hand directly in front of Raven’s face.

“Jesus, Woods!” Raven exclaimed as she removed an earphone finally realizing that the CEO was standing in front of her, “Are you trying to give a girl a heart attack?!”

“I apologize,” Lexa grinned with a look that said she wasn’t sorry at all, “I didn’t realize that you were listening to music.”

“Helps me concentrate,” Raven said as she wiped her hands on a cloth and leaned against the table she had been working at. She looked at the CEO with a raised eyebrow, “What brings you slinking down here for the second time in a week?”

Lexa sensed hostility in Raven’s stance. She was confused until she remembered that Raven was Clarke’s roommate. Raven would have heard all about what happened with Ark Memorial. Lexa mentally slapped herself in the face. She decided that she would play it cool. “Slinking?” she countered tilting her head to the side and meeting Raven’s gaze.

“That’s usually what snakes do isn’t it?” Raven snarked giving Lexa an unimpressed stare.

Lexa was momentarily taken aback by Raven’s boldness. This girl dared to talk to her boss this way? Lexa’s tone became slightly annoyed, “That seems to be a little uncalled for.”

Raven scoffed and shook her head, “I bet she was right. You barged right in, took over everything, and I bet you didn’t even think twice about how it made anyone else feel. To think I stood up for you.” That stung. Raven watched as Lexa looked away and noticed her swallow a lump in her throat.

“I take it you have spoken with Dr. Griffin,” Lexa sighed. Raven thought she could almost sense sadness in the other woman’s voice.

“I told you to take it easy on her not to take everything away from her,” Raven said disgusted.

A swell of anger rose up in Lexa at being challenged. She took a moment to collect her thoughts. She needed Raven to be on her side. She needed Raven’s brain to help her with the mystery bank robbers. “I did what was best for the company, Raven. I want to help Ark Memorial, and I intend to. If Dr. Griffin is upset by the way I handled things then I am sorry, but I will not associate my company with an establishment that clearly has some real issues.” Lexa paused, realizing that her voice was rising in volume. She breathed, “I understand the importance of that hospital to the people of Ton D.C. I intend to prove to Dr. Griffin that I want to help, so you don’t have to attack me.”

Raven was shocked. She hadn’t expected such an honest response from the cocky CEO. She allowed herself to relax slightly, uncrossing her arms, “Oh…..I, um, I just…” Raven was at a loss for words.

“You thought it was just a business deal?” Lexa inquired. “That I didn’t actually care.” The last part was not a question.

Raven felt a little guilty for jumping to conclusions. She had been upset because Clarke was upset. She relaxed the rest of the way. “Yes,” she sighed, conceding.

Lexa nodded her head, “I am not as careless as one might believe.”

Raven looked away embarrassed at her behavior, “I assume you didn’t come down here to get a lecture. What can I help you with?”

Lexa almost told the Latina never mind, but she couldn’t allow her pride to prevent her from getting closer to discovering the truth. She held the arrow up for Raven to see, “I have a business associate who is really into archery. He only uses these specialized arrows, has them custom made and he places the order through a secret source. I was wondering if you could run the serial number and get me the name of his contact and the address to which he had them delivered. I want to send him some for his birthday.”

Raven took the arrow from Lexa and gave it a once over, “That sounds kind of sketchy, but couldn’t you just call his assistant or something?”

_What a clever girl_ , Lexa thought to herself. She shook her head and responded, “No. I don’t want to chance him finding out. I want it to be a surprise.”

Raven eyed her suspiciously, “Okay, but this might take a minute.”

“Take your time,” Lexa said, stiffly turning to leave, “You can just bring the address up to my office when you find it. I have a meeting that I really need to get to. Thank you, Raven.”

Raven noticed the slight limp in Lexa’s usually graceful gait. “Are you limping?” she inquired.

Lexa was shocked momentarily. This girl was clever and observant. She quickly wracked her brain for an excuse. “Um, I pulled a muscle in my thigh when I went for a jog this morning. It’s not a big deal,” she stated lamely.

Raven eyed her for a moment and then shrugged, “Always stretch properly.” Lexa nodded and hurried out of the maintenance room without another word.

………..

Clarke walked along the busy street, blending in with the throng of people rushing to their destinations. For once, she wasn’t one of these frantic commuters rushing to work. She had even left early enough to stop at her favorite coffee shop and pick up a cup of delicious coffee. She savored its smell and the warmth that it infused into her hands. It had been a little over a week since the meeting with Trikru, and she had decided that she was going to try to stop worrying about the take-over. She wanted to focus on her responsibilities and her duty to her patients while she still had time. She looked up at the bright, blue sky and inhaled a breath of fresh air letting it cleanse her mind. She continued strolling, looking at the people around her. She tried to imagine what their lives might be like, where they might work, and if their lives felt as hectic as hers. She saw two men collide into one another spilling coffee down their expensive business suits. She stifled a laugh as they scrambled to get their bearings and then yell at each other in frustration. At least her day was going better than theirs.

She continued walking another couple of blocks until she came to Polis City Bank. She suddenly remembered that she had a few deposits that she needed to make and decided to stop off and get it out of the way. She tossed her empty coffee cup in the trash as she approached the glass front doors. A sharply dressed man came out as she was reaching for the handle and held the door open for her. She thanked him as he tipped his hat. She walked into the spacious foyer and paused as she took in how many people were in line. She glanced down at her watch to check the time and decided that she had enough time to wait. She jumped in line behind an exasperated looking mother and her child.

Bing! She heard her cellphone come to life and pulled it from her pocket. She quickly scanned the message that appeared on the illuminated screen:

**ABBY GRIFFIN: What time are you coming in to the hospital? There are some things I would like to discuss with you concerning Trikru.**

**CLARKE GRIFFIN: I stopped at Polis City Bank to make a few deposits and then I will be in.**

Clarke clicked the device off and shoved it into her bag. She didn’t want to text her mother. They hadn’t really spoke since the meeting, and Clarke honestly had nothing to say to her. She still partially blamed her mother for letting things get so dire that they had to let Trikru step in. The line moved up a little more. Suddenly, the front doors to the bank slammed open and men dressed in black from head to toe rushed in and went in all directions. They each wore a gorilla mask and were armed with various weapons. Screams started to fill the room as everyone realized what was happening. Clarke’s eyes went wide and her heart rate picked up.

“Alright everyone,” one of the men bellowed as he fired a few rounds from an automatic rifle into the ceiling, “You know how this goes. Shut up, get on the floor, and no one has to get hurt!”

……….

Lexa sat at her large mahogany desk reading over some documents for the Ark Memorial deal. She had been busy in meetings all morning, and it felt nice to sit down in the peace and quiet of her spacious office. She tossed the documents in a growing pile, frustrated with trying to make sense of everything. Not only that, it had been almost four days since she had charged Raven with finding out where her arrow came from, and she had yet to hear anything. When she went down to the IT department, she learned that one of Trikru’s communication towers had gone down and the Latina had been on location trying to get it back up and running. With no Raven and no other leads, Lexa simply had to wait. She hated waiting. She leaned back in her big, comfy chair and stretched her arms before standing up and walking over to the large glass wall that served as her own personal window to Polis. She admired the buildings and the bright, blue sky. A firm knock sounded on the door, breaking her moment of solace. “Come in,” she called turning to face her visitor.

Gustus entered the office and greeted her with a slight nod of his head, “Have you had a chance to read over the documents I sent you?”

Lexa smiled at him, “Always business with you.”

“There are many things that need to be done,” Gustus stated simply.

“Stop worrying, Gustus,” Lexa ordered as she walked back to her desk and sat down, “Like you’ve always told me, all business deals are risky.”

“This is not the same as The Coalition Project with the 12 companies,” Gustus said giving her a pointed look, “Ark Memorial is different. They are not like the rest of our investments. It could jeopardize our efforts. Kill The Coalition Project.” The Coalition Project was an initiative that Lexa had presented to 12 other companies within Polis. The companies would unite together and strive to make the city a better, safer place for its residents. After much convincing, the 12 companies had formed a shaky alliance. Lexa knew that things with the 12 companies were strained. They butted heads in almost every aspect. That is why Trikru had not yet gone public with the project.

“Our Coalition Project? Or me?” Lexa said without looking at her uncle. Gustus knew how hard Lexa had worked on the project, and if it failed it would crush her spirit.

“You are The Coalition Project, Heda,” Lexa looked up at the use of the nickname. Her father had given it to her when she was young. It meant commander. She had been headstrong even as a child, and her father had encouraged the commanding streak in her. It’s how she had decided on a name for her vigilante alter ego. Her jaw clenched with the effort to hold back any emotion that might have made it to her face. Gustus’s eyes were serious. He was always serious.

“Then do your job and protect me,” Lexa stated. Gustus nodded and stood up. There was nothing more to be said. He exited the office with the practiced grace of a panther. As he left, Lexa caught a glimpse of the news that was displayed on the T.V. mounted on her wall. She grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.

“Breaking News,” the anchor said in a serious tone, “A group of armed, masked men are holding several people hostage inside Polis City Bank…..” Lexa didn’t hear what came after that. She grabbed her jacket from the back of the chair as her cellphone began ringing. She threw the door of the office open and rushed past her assistant who was startled by the commotion.

“Cancel all of my meetings for the rest of the afternoon, something has come up,” Lexa barked behind her as she continued briskly walking, the pain in her thigh forgotten. She pushed the “accept” button on her cellphone, “Hello. Yes I saw it. How soon can you be there? I’m leaving right now.”

…………

Clarke tried to remain calm as she raised her hands and lowered herself to the ground. The child in front of her started to cry, but his mother yanked him down harshly and covered his mouth. The men in gorilla masks shoved their way further into the bank threatening people who had not met their demands quick enough. She watched one of the men jam his foot into the leg of an elderly gentleman forcing him harshly to the ground before slamming the butt of his gun into the man’s head.

“Alright everyone,” the leader bellowed out, “this can be easy, or this can be difficult. If you do exactly as we say, then there is no reason for us to harm you. If you don’t well….” Here he paused for dramatic effect. His men dragged a beaten security guard into view. He pulled the bow from his back, notched an arrow, and let it fly right into the security guards head, several screams sounded around the room. He watched his men drop the body unceremoniously before continuing, “Are we all on the same page?” No one said anything. Clarke had thrown her hand over her mouth to stop the horrified gasp that threatened to escape, blue eyes wide with terror. The leader spoke again, “If you attempt anything, you will share his fate. We have severed all security cameras and disabled the silent alarm.”

The men began to disperse throughout the bank setting to work at their different tasks. The leader ordered a few men to take what looked like a large drill toward where the vault was located. He ordered several of the masked invaders to stand guard over the lobby. All of the patrons and employees cowered on the floor with terrified expressions on their faces. Clarke noticed the elderly gentleman that the robbers had forced to the ground. He was holding his leg and a steady stream of blood ran down his face. The doctor in her took over and chased away the fear she felt in her heart.

_I need to get to him_ , she thought to herself. She noticed that there were only two guards with guns patrolling the lobby, and she would be able to make her way across the room by ducking behind the various desks and plants placed here and there. The first desk was about twenty feet from her current position. She could make it. She waited for the masked gunman on her side of the room to look away and dashed for the desk. She made it and quickly put her hands up again pretending that she had never moved. She wasn’t caught. “Okay, only need to do that about five more times,” she thought to herself. Her heart was threatening to beat out of her chest. She closed her eyes and willed her heart rate to slow down. She watched the guard that was currently in her line of sight. He turned to pace back toward the opposite wall. She dashed to a potted plant about thirty feet away and ducked down. One of the masked men left to guard the front of the building came running into the lobby, “Hey! We gotta hurry this up. The cops are starting to surround the place!”

………….

Detective Octavia Blake approached her partner with urgency, “They have disabled all security cam access, so we can’t get eyes on them. The only thing that we know right now is that they have hostages.” Detective Indra stood with her back straight staring in the direction of the bank building. They had arrived about 10 minutes ago and established a police car blockade. Octavia grabbed her shoulder, “Hey! Did you hear me? We are basically blind. We have nothing to go off of and no way to get those people out of there.”

“I am aware of the situation, Detective Blake,” Indra snapped around to face her.

“So what do we do? Just stand here like knots on logs?” Octavia said incredulously. No response. “I can’t do that,” she said between gritted teeth.

“Sometimes the best thing that we can do is wait,” Indra said calmly. Octavia scoffed incredulously and turned to go bark some more orders at unsuspecting cops. Indra smiled to herself faintly. _She will learn_ , she thought as she turned back to face toward the bank.

…………

Clarke had been able to make it halfway across the lobby before the masked men started to get nervous. Now, they were running back and forth, threatening the staff, and cursing at each other. There had apparently been a problem with the drill they used causing a delay in progress and the cops had been able to surround the building. From where Clarke was currently positioned she could see the large man with the drill. He was waving his arms wildly and shoved several of the men that were trying to help him.

“What did I tell you about making unauthorized withdrawals?!” a commanding voice boomed across every square inch of the lobby. Clarke’s eyes shot up to the second story balcony and her heart did a leap of joy! Before the masked men had time to react, the black clad figure jumped from the balcony landing gracefully in a predatory stance beside one of the invaders. Her signature black coat and red sash settled around her in an impressive display. She decked the man she had landed beside with a harsh blow, grabbing his gun from his hands as he fell. The other two men in the lobby sprang into action. They leveled their guns on her, but she shot the firearms from their hands expertly. They ran towards her in a flurry of fists. She deflected their blows easily, landing blows of her own in return. She kicked them both down to the ground and grabbed the swords strapped to her back, twirling them, readying herself for their next wave of attacks. The commotion had drawn the attention of more invaders and three more men had appeared from somewhere deeper in the bank. The bigger man on the ground leapt up and ran at her full speed. She simply stepped out of his way and sliced into his side as he ran past. The three other masked men were advancing on her. They formed a circle around her preparing to attack her from all sides. She stood her ground in the middle, swords up and ready to defend. They lunged at her. The man directly behind her threw a kick that the Commander dodged by ducking and answered with an elbow to the man’s face. Another punch came that she deflected with a sword and then swung around with her other sword slicing into the man’s belly. She then whirled on her final attacker sending a booted foot into his jaw. It was all over before Clarke realized what was happening. She watched the Commander rise to her full height and turn to the final, small robber that still laid on the ground, looking up at her with terrified eyes through his gorilla mask.

Clarke had been mesmerized the entire time. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the gorgeous woman as she twirled and punched and stabbed. The perfect combination of grace and power. The men had never once got close enough to even touch the vigilante. Her heart sped up again, but this time it was not from fear. She watched the Commander stalk toward the smaller robber like a wild animal when an excruciating pain blasted through her head. She was suddenly aware of the large hand that had grabbed hold of her hair and was yanking her to her feet. A strangled cry escaped from her mouth.

“That’s quite enough!” her captor bellowed as he pressed a knife to her throat.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Ahhh the continuation of that awful cliff hanger! I really enjoy hearing you guys thoughts about the story. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 8

Lexa paused in her attack, eyes darting up to the man that had spoken. Her eyes narrowed as she took him in. He was tall and massive. She could see his thick muscles through his tight black shirt. His eyes were barely visible through the holes of his gorilla mask, but she noticed that they were ice blue. Her eyes ventured to the woman that he held captive and her stomach dropped to the floor. Golden hair, terrified sky blue eyes, and kissable pink lips stretched into a pained grimace as the beast of a man gripped her harder. Clarke Griffin. Lexa’s heart rate sped up in fear. What was Clarke doing here of all places? She relaxed her defensive stance, showing that she was willing to listen to what he had to say. The man she had been advancing on scrambled to his feet and retrieved his gun, aiming it straight at her chest.

“I was hoping that we might run into each other,” the masked man said threateningly. “You have thrown quite the wrench into my plans here lately. I really don’t appreciate it. It’s very rude of you.”

“Let her go,” The Commander growled out, “She isn’t part of this.”

“Why would I do that?” he retorted. “She is going to be my insurance.” He released her hair and ran his disgusting hand through it, caressing her face, “She’s pretty isn’t she, Commander. Maybe I’ll just keep her.” Lexa lurched forward involuntarily at the remark. She could feel her blood boiling, and it took every ounce of will she possessed to keep a level head. The man tightened his grip and held the dagger tighter to Clarke’s neck, letting the blade bite into the soft skin. Clarke let out a small, pained whimper, halting Lexa in her place. “Ah, ah, ah, you wouldn’t want me to slip and slice her pretty throat would you?” the man said arrogantly.

“Let her go, or I’ll use that knife your holding to slit your throat,” her words were laced with venom.

The masked man let out a delighted chuckle, “And how do you think you’ll do that? You didn’t catch me last time. What makes this time any different?”

Lexa’s stern face stretched into a sly grin. “I brought back up,” as soon as the words left her mouth a dagger sailed into the masked man’s arm causing him to thrust Clarke away from him and into the floor. He let out a furious, pained howl. At almost the same instance, a smoke bomb went off shielding most of the lobby from sight. Lexa rushed forward seeking out Clarke. The blonde was trying to get her bearings and get up off the floor. Lexa rushed to her side kneeling down and catching her arms, steadying her. “Did he hurt you?” she yelled over the commotion of people screaming and running for the door. She glanced around the immediate area looking for the masked man. Not seeing him, she turned her attention back to the blonde in front of her.

“I…I think I’m okay….” Clarke’s voice was shaky. Sky blue eyes met emerald green, and Lexa’s breath caught in her chest. She noticed a small trickle of blood running down Clarke’s neck and touched it gingerly.

“You’re hurt,” she said in a worried voice.

Clarke had been mesmerized again by the commanding figure in front of her. She noticed how strong and secure The Commander’s hands felt as she supported her. She broke from her daze, reaching up to her neck, assessing the damage, “It’s just a scratch. Nothing a little alcohol and a Band-Aid won’t fix.”

The Commander swallowed thickly and nodded, “Let’s get you out of here.” She wrapped an arm around Clarke’s waist and pulled her to her feet. She began guiding her to the bank’s entrance, shielding the doctor with her body. She couldn’t help but notice how wonderful Clarke smelled. Like fresh air and honeysuckles and sunshine. She forced herself to focus.

“Commander!” Another tall figure dressed similarly to Lexa appeared out of the haze. This figure was taller, her face more angular. She sported a long, black coat like The Commander, but hers had a large fur collar that covered most of her neck. Shiny, silver pauldrons adorned each shoulder, and her dark eyes were made impossibly darker by the heavy make up around them. Her cheekbones were contoured in a way that made her face look razor sharp. “All of the men are either unconscious or have fled. They didn’t get into the vault this time.” She reached the Commander with three large, determined steps.

“Make sure all of the hostages get out safely,” The Commander ordered. She unwrapped her arm from around Clarke and started pushing her toward the other dark figure, “Take her to the front doors. Do not leave her until you know she is out of danger. I can’t let him get away this time.” She turned to leave, but something caught her wrist. She whirled back and saw the panicked look on Clarke’s face. The doctor had grabbed her arm and was begging her not to go with her eyes. “You’ll be safe with her,” she placed a warm hand over the blonde’s and gave it a soft squeeze. With a smile of reassurance for the doctor, she turned and rushed off into the haze.

………..

Clarke watched the beautiful woman disappear into the haze that covered the bank. Strong hands wrapped around her shoulders, and a voice broke through to her ears, “I said come on! The cops are outside. We have to get you out of here. She’ll be fine!” The hands tugged her toward the exit of the bank, and she let them guide her to safety. Her mind was in a daze. She could barely comprehend what was happening. Before she realized it they had made it to the large glass doors. Clarke could see flashing lights out on the street. “This is as far as I go,” her bodyguard said, “I can’t let them see me. You should be safe from this point.”

Clarke looked at her with a worried expression, “You have to help her!” Her voice sounded panicked and terrified. She realized that she didn’t recognize this side of herself. She was a trauma surgeon. She had the ability to keep her cool in any situation, especially emergencies. The thought of something happening to the mysterious vigilante with dramatic face paint and impossibly green eyes drove all sense of rationale from her brain.

“Don’t worry. The Commander has the uncanny ability to get out of any situation, but I can’t go help her until I know you’ve reached the police barricade,” the vigilante’s partner said in an urgent tone. This seemed to bring the blonde doctor to life. She nodded her head at the dark figure as she threw the door open and rushed toward the flashing lights.

“Clarke! Oh my god, Clarke!” Clarke’s eyes shot up at the familiar voice. Octavia Blake was running toward her with a panicked expression on her face. The detective reached her and threw her arms around the blonde. The magnitude of everything crashed down around Clarke and she fell heavily into Octavia’s embrace. The blonde started to sob, releasing all of the terror and panic that had welled up inside her. “It’s okay,” Octavia soothed, “everything is okay now. You’re safe.” Octavia brushed locks of Clarke’s hair out of her face and rubbed her back soothingly trying to calm the doctor.

Clarke stifled her sobs, “He is going to get away. The Commander, she saved me, but he got away in the commotion.”

Octavia looked at Clarke with a confused expression, trying to make sense of her friend’s words. “The Commander was in there? She helped you?” Octavia questioned. Clarke nodded her head, but said nothing else. Octavia waved for a paramedic, “Make sure she is okay. Looks like she has a cut on her neck.” She turned back to Clarke, “I’m going to leave you with the paramedic. I have to go check on a few things. I will be back.” Satisfied that Clarke was safe and in good hands, Octavia stood and left her friend. She checked her side arm to make sure it was fully loaded and stalked off toward the back alley of the bank. Indra watched her go.

………..

The Commander weaved her way through the unconscious bank robbers that Anya had dispatched. There was no denying that the woman was quite efficient. She watched for any signs of the big man with the bow and arrow. She had made it back to the bank vault. She noticed that the drill still stood there untouched next to a black backpack full of supplies. It was then that she noticed the tiny droplets of blood leading further into the bank. That had to be his. Anya had sent a dagger slicing right into his shoulder. She took off in the direction in which the droplets lead.

Her legs pumped as fast as she could make them, trying to catch the man before he was able to escape. The leg that had been sliced open in their first standoff screamed in protest at her efforts. The dramatic jump from the second floor balcony had probably been a bit much, but she liked to make an entrance. Until now, she hadn’t noticed the pain due to all of the adrenaline pumping through her system. She saw an exit door up ahead and noticed a bloody hand print on the handle. She burst through the door without even thinking. An arrow whizzed by her face, catching her cheek just slightly. She ducked behind a dumpster before the man could unleash another. Peering around the dumpster, she noticed that he was pale. His arm was stained crimson with blood.

“Come on you little bitch,” he seethed. Her hand was on her swords, drawing them from the sheaths on her back. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath and readied herself for the attack. She burst from behind the dumpster with a battle cry. He loosed another arrow in her direction which she deflected with the sword, continuing her run at him. He loosed another and another, but each was deflected. She was too close. She twirled the swords in her hand before taking her first slice. He used his bow to dodge the strike and took a step back. She rained down blows on him endlessly. She slashed this way and that, moving in closer and then backing away, but he held his own. He dodged and parried and moved out of her way in a practiced efficiency. She brought down a particularly powerful blow, throwing all of her body weight into it, and knocked the arm holding his bow far enough away that he could not block the next strike. She took the opportunity to slam her fist into his face, blood spurting from his nose immediately and knocking him to his knees. She prepared to bring a final blow down on his head. She dropped one sword and gripped the other with both hands as she raised it over her head. In the last second, he raised his bow catching her sword’s downward arc and bringing it to a stop. They struggled for dominance for a second, before he pushed back against her rising from the ground. With all of his brute strength he pushed her back and planted a large booted foot into her chest knocking her to the ground. She quickly flipped over onto her hands and knees to push off the ground, but not before he landed a bone crunching kick to her ribs. He was on top of her before she could get her bearings. His large hands wrapped around her throat, and she could see the fury in his eyes as she gasped for air. “Looks like it’s all over,” he said triumphantly.

The Commander struggled and wriggled and finally got her arm into the position she wanted. She shoved her fingers into the wound on his shoulder. He let out a tortured scream, and his grip loosened but not enough. He brought a large fist down across her face, busting her mouth and making blood spurt from her nose. He took the dagger at her thigh and raised it threateningly. Before he could slam it into her chest, a wooden plank collided with the back of his head, knocking him off of her. Her view went from being filled with the masked face of her attacker to the smirking face of Anya. Anya reached her hand out to help the broken Commander to her feet. “Fancy meeting you here,” she snarked.

“Shut up,” she groaned and spit the blood out of her mouth. She picked up her sword and stalked toward the man on the ground. She was going to enjoy this. She was imagining the sweet taste of revenge as she sliced through this bastard’s core when….

“Freeze! No body move!” The Commander whirled around to see a dark haired, determined looking girl aiming a gun at them. “I’m Detective Octavia Blake, and you’re all under arrest.” The girl flexed her chiseled jaw and dared the vigilante’s to move.

“Octavia, stop!” another stern woman appeared behind the detective. Her serious dark eyes found the Commander’s and communicated something silently. She walked up to the younger detective, placed her ebony hand over the gun, and forced the girl to lower it. She looked up at the Commander and her partner, “Go, get out of here. Hurry up!”

Anya grabbed Lexa’s arm and forced her to move. When they turned around, the masked man was gone. He had slipped away in the commotion. Lexa let out an irritated growl, but Anya was there pushing her forward. “Come on, we have to leave. You look like shit, and I don’t want to go to jail,” she urged soothingly. They ran off into the shadows, escaping the events of the night.

“Indra, what the hell was that?” Octavia whirled on her mentor, “They are just as much criminals as the bank robbers.”

Indra looked into Octavia’s eyes willing them to bore into the girl’s soul, “Our fight is not with them.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys want to let me know how you like the story, but don't necessarily want to leave it in the comments, you can hit me up on 
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> or  
> Instagram: akasey47


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is late! Hope all of my fellow Americans had a happy and safe 4th of July, and everyone else just had a happy and safe weekend in general. As always, I love hearing what you think!

Chapter 9

Raven Reyes let her eyes absorb the information displayed on her computer screen with an alarmed look on her face. She had traced Lexa’s arrow to a company called Artemis Archery. They specialize in customized bow and arrows. This particular arrow was purchased by a man named Quint Black. Black. Black. Why had that name sounded familiar? Raven wracked her brain trying to make a connection. She snapped her fingers in recognition as the thought ran through her head, _the tag that Lexa had asked her to run had come up registered to a Samuel Black who had owned a cleaning service located in Ton D.C._ Coincidence? Raven believed in no such thing. She had decided to search Quint Black’s name which led to her sitting here with an alarmed look on her face, mouth hanging slightly agape. There were several articles about the former military man. He had served in the Marines for four years before being dishonorably discharged for sexual assault and desertion. Raven decided to dig a little further into this despicable man’s actions, and was shocked by what she found. It had taken her a hot minute to hack into the FBI’s database, but now that she was in she was horrified by what she found.

Quint Black was the son of Samuel and Dora Black and a native of Polis. He had been a troubled youth, and his father had forced him to join the military in hopes that it would give him the discipline he sorely needed. It had not. After Quint’s dishonorable discharge he was sent back to the states where he performed a plethora of offenses involving everything from public intoxication, to assault, to armed robbery. In the last several years, Quint had been associated with a small time terrorist group named the Pauna. Their signature trademark was to wear gorilla masks while committing various acts of terrorism. The CIA had yet to gather enough evidence to prosecute Black and had been unable to locate him since his last arrest. The group had been responsible for a series of bombings in the past. More recently, they had successfully robbed several banks throughout the state and were still at large. That was everything that his file contained.

Raven sat in shock, trying to let her brain process all of the information she had just attained and letting countless questions pop into her head. The biggest question of all was _“How is Lexa involved in all of this?”_ Raven was clever, and she quickly began connecting the dots. She pulled up the parking garage security camera footage from the day that Lexa had asked her to run the van tags and found the time when Lexa would have arrived at Trikru. At exactly 7:41 a.m. a shiny, red Ferrari came zooming into the parking garage…..without a single scratch. She had lied when she said she was side swiped. This made something else in Raven’s memory snap into clarity. She remembered seeing a story in the news only a few days ago about three thugs that had been apprehended in Ton D.C. The crazy thing was the thugs were already unconscious when the police arrived on the scene. Raven’s eyes widened at another thought, one of the thugs had been pronounced Dead On Arrival….killed by an arrow through the head. She googled the news story, hoping that she could find some sort of video footage of the scene. She found a link to a story, but no video. The story was vague and gave away very little information, but Raven was ecstatic to find that there were pictures. Luck seemed to be on her side, because there in the last picture was a black van. The license plate in clear view. Raven enhanced the photo and squinted at the screen, trying to make out the numbers. Her pulse picked up and her eyes grew wide as she looked over the numbers Lexa had given her. One by one they matched the numbers in the photo. The sudden vibration of her cellphone ringing made Raven jump.

“Hello,” she answered the phone in a distracted way, “Dr. Griffin?” Raven paused to let the voice on the other end of the phone speak. It was panicked and frantic. “Oh my god! A robbery?! Is she okay?!” The voice continued telling her what had happened. Raven started gathering her things, forgetting the entire situation with Lexa and Quint Black. “I am on my way home right now. I will be there as soon as I can.”

………….

Clarke sat on the long, comfy couch in the center of her and Raven’s apartment. She sank down into the soft cushions, letting them envelope her and remind her that she was at home and safe. She could hear her mother in the kitchen making tea and hurriedly talking to someone on the phone. Her mom had rushed right over after hearing of the incident and was now fussing over her like she was some small, endangered child. A warmness spread through her chest, and for the first time in a long time she felt grateful for her mother’s presence. Her mind was still reeling from the events of the afternoon. Had she really been involved in a massive bank robbery attempt? Had she really been rescued by the vigilante…..again? The vigilante. Clarke closed her eyes and imagined that she felt strong hands reaching out for her. A smooth voice washing over her, asking if she was okay. Impossibly green eyes staring down at her with a softness that she didn’t quite comprehend. She was jostled from her daydream by her mother setting a tea cup in front of her.

“That was Raven,” her mother informed her, “I have to get back to the hospital, but I didn’t want to leave you alone.” Her mother reached out to her and brushed soft strands of hair from her face before rubbing her hand over Clarke’s back soothingly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

Clarke groaned and rolled her eyes but leaned into her mother’s soothing touch, “I told you I’m fine, Mom. I really don’t need the night off. I’m needed at the hospital.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!” her mother admonished her, “I’ll get Wells to check in on your patients. You’ve just been involved in an extremely traumatic event. I know you’re exhausted even if you refuse to admit it. You will take the night off and rest. You can come back to the hospital tomorrow if you feel up to it.” Clarke knew there was no point in arguing. There was some truth in her mother’s words. She could already feel tiredness leaking into her bones as the adrenaline continued to dissipate.

“Fine, fine,” she mumbled as she sat up and reached for the tea that her mother prepared. She held the amber liquid up to her nose, letting the warmth and scent of chamomile soothe her even further. She leaned into her mother whose arm went around her shoulders and squeezed in comforting reassurance. Clarke didn’t usually seek out comfort, but tonight it helped to calm her racing pulse and clear her muddled brain. They sat there for about 15 minutes in comfortable silence, Clarke allowing her mother to soothe her, before the sound of keys in the door and a flustered Raven rushing in broke them apart. Both women looking up at the dark haired girl amusedly.

“Oh my gosh, Clarke!” Raven exclaimed as she dumped her stuff on the floor and rushed around the couch to kneel in front of her best friend. Raven grabbed her cheeks and forced her to look into her eyes, “Your mom told me what happened! Are you okay?”

Clarke slapped her hands away, “I’m fine, Raven. I wasn’t even hurt.”

“I guess you’re just wearing that bandage on your neck for decoration then,” Raven mocked. She turned to the older Dr. Griffin with a bright smile, “Hi, Mama G.” She reached over to give the woman a hug and received a kiss to the forehead in return. “See? Your mother knows how to greet a girl. What ever happened to your manners, Griffin?” Clarke just rolled her eyes and scrunched her nose up in faux disgust.

Abby leaned over and gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead as well before rising from her place on the couch. “I really should get going now that Raven is here,” Dr. Griffin sighed while she gathered her things, “Clarke, if you need anything at all…”

“I’ll call,” Clarke finished for her, exasperated from all the coddling. Abby gave her a look before giving a wave and making her exit. Raven jumped up on the coach beside her, “Whoa, settle down there!”

“No way!” Raven said as she made herself comfortable, “I need to hear everything. All the details.”

“What details,” Clarke harrumphed, “there really isn’t anything to tell. Some guys broke into the bank. We were rescued. The cops asked me some questions. Octavia brought me back here. That’s really the whole day.”

“Clarke, I am very worried that you are taking this so well. A man held a knife to your throat!” Raven exclaimed, “You survived a real life bank heist! It’s okay to admit that you were scared. Give me the details! Talking about it helps to process the emotions.”

Clarke rolled her eyes, but gave her best friend a conspiratorial smile. Maybe it would be beneficial to talk about the events. Besides, she really wanted to tell someone about her encounters with the Commander and the feelings they stirred in her. Feelings she didn’t quite know how to explain. She began, “Okay, okay I will give you some juicy details.”

Raven’s whole face lit up as she clapped her hands together in excitement, “Start from the very beginning!”

“Alright, well I went to the bank to make a few deposits. It was all very dull. All of a sudden, these men came rushing in with guns, knives, and all manner of weapons. The leader started yelling for everyone to get down on the ground. They bullied everyone into submission, even punched an older gentleman in the face. They dragged the security guard out in front of everyone and the leader shot him right in the head with a bow and arrow!” Clarke had started to get more frantic as she recalled the details. Her face paled when she got to the part about the security guard. In all of the commotion, she had forgotten that she watched a man be executed. The walls of her stomach clenched, and she felt like she was going to throw up. She felt the the beginning of tears forming in her eyes as reality crashed down on her. 

“Hey, Hey….” Raven reached out and rubbed Clarke’s back soothingly. She couldn’t imagine what was running through the blonde’s mind. The terror she must have felt. There was a piece of information in the story that had stuck out to Raven. Bow and arrow. She didn’t want to prod Clarke for more information than necessary, so she filed that away for later. “You don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.”

“No, no,” Clarke said in between deep breathes. “I think you were right about needing to talk about it. It all happened so fast. It seems so unreal. After they killed the security guard, they went about doing what they came in to do. Everyone was petrified and remained where they were. I noticed the gentleman across the lobby that the robbers had assaulted. He had blood running down his face, and his leg was broken. I needed to get to him. I started making my way across the lobby, darting between desks and plants. One of the men came rushing into the lobby saying they needed to hurry because the cops were surrounding the place and then….there she was!” Clarke had paused in her retelling and looked off into the distance as if she were seeing something that Raven couldn’t.

“There who was, Griffin?!” Raven exclaimed snapping her fingers in front of Clarke’s face.

Clarke shook her head and snapped out of the daze, “Uh, sorry,” she mumbled sheepishly. _Get it together_ , Griffin, she thought to herself. She continued, “It was the Commander!”

Raven gasped in disbelief, “THE COMMANDER! You got to actually SEE her! What was she like?!”

“She was gorgeous, Raven!” Clarke said dreamily, “She was all tall and dark. She dropped into those men and started punching and slashing. There had to be at least 6 at one time, and they never even touched her!” Clarke got quiet. Her memories of what happened next rushing back to her. “That’s when the leader grabbed me and put the knife to my throat…” she said, barely loud enough for Raven to hear.

Raven gulped, “I’m sorry, Clarke. That must have been terrifying.”

Clarke nodded and then forced a smile, more for Raven’s reassurance than her own, “Its fine. I’m here and I’m fine.” This time, it sounded like Clarke was trying to convince herself. Raven waited patiently while Clarke gathered her thoughts. “He threatened me, but the Commander had help. Another woman in a similar outfit. She threw a knife into his arm, and then the Commander ran to me and got me to safety.”

“She saved you specifically?” Raven’s eyes were wide. “I mean all this is terrifying, and I am really sorry it happened….but that’s kind of cool, right?”

Clarke chuckled at her best friend’s enthusiasm, “I suppose….” Clarke bit her bottom lip and looked at Raven sheepishly.

“What?” Raven asked suspiciously, “What is that look about?”

Clarke debated on whether she should reveal her previous run in with the mysterious vigilante, but it had been eating at her ever since it happened. She decided to just give in, “It isn’t the first time she’s saved me.”

“WHAAAAAT?!” Raven bellowed as she jumped off the couch, “Oh my god, Clarke! How could you not tell me?!”

“I didn’t want you to worry!” Clarke defended, “Besides, it wasn’t nearly as exciting the first time.”

Raven looked at her with a smirk, “The first time wasn’t that good, eh? I would have thought someone like that would know what she is doing.”

“Oh god, Raven, shut up!” Clarke groaned, face turning red, “You know what I meant.”

“I did know what you meant…what I didn’t know is that my best friend has some kind of secret damsel-in-distress game that she plays with the local vigilante!” Raven ducked to dodge a pillow that was chucked at her head. “But in all seriousness, why wouldn’t you tell me that you were attacked?”

Clarke let out an exasperated sigh, “We live in a dangerous city. It could happen to anyone, anywhere. I didn’t want you to make a fuss.”

“But you aren’t just anyone,” Raven said as she settled down beside the blonde again, “you’re my best friend. If I ever meet the Commander, I’ll shake her hand for saving your stubborn ass. What did these bank robbers look like anyway? Will the cops be able to catch them?”

“I couldn’t make out any of their faces. They all had on gorilla masks. How weird is that?” Clarke scrunched her nose up and Raven filed away another piece of information. “Apparently several of them were knocked unconscious and the authorities were able to take them into custody. I guess we will hear more as the cops work the case.”

“Well, I’m just glad you made it out mostly unscathed. What do you say I order us some food and you find something to watch on T.V.? We will drink ourselves silly and forget this day ever happened.” Raven suggested. Clarke laughed and nodded her head in agreement. Raven jumped up to get some drinks and order take out, but she did not plan to forget that this day happened. As a matter of fact, she was planning her next move. If she was right, she might meet the Commander sooner rather than later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> you can also find me on:  
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47  
> I would say tumblr but I only use it to stalk nerdy stuff that I like and have literally never blogged anything of my own :D


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you guys want some Clexa interaction! As always, let me know what you think!

Chapter 10

It had been three days since the attempted bank heist at Polis City Bank. Three days of Anya and Nyko flocking around her like over-protective mother hens. She had tried to insist that she was fine, but they would hear none of it. The injuries hadn’t been that extensive. A couple of bruised ribs, a nasty bruise on her jaw accompanied by a split lip and a small laceration on her cheek, and the stitches on her leg from the previous fight had re-opened. Nothing she hadn’t faced before. Regardless, the overprotective pair had demanded that she rest, at least for a few days, but all she could think about was a certain blonde doctor and making sure she was unharmed. Anya had insisted that Clarke had made it to safety, but Lexa wouldn’t be satisfied until she saw for herself. After the third day of incessant pleading, Nyko had finally cleared her to at least go check on the doctor. Lexa recalled the conversation with Anya and Nyko:

_“But nothing more,” he had insisted, Anya hovering over his shoulder as he checked the stitches on Lexa’s thigh._

_“I swear it,” Lexa promised, crossing her heart._

_“I swear if you attempt to do anything other than check on Clarke,” Anya was threatening._

_“I won’t!” Lexa cut her off. “I just need to make sure she is okay.”_

_Anya eyed her suspiciously, “I don’t know what has your panties in a bunch over this doctor. You’ve never checked on anyone else you’ve helped.”_

_“Dr. Griffin is special.” Lexa defended and noticed Anya’s eyes get a little wider. “Because I need her to help with the Ark Memorial deal,” Lexa added quickly. Yeah….that’s why Lexa needed to check on Clarke. She was vital to the business deal. Not because she felt anything for her or anything. That would be ridiculous._

So here she sat atop one of the buildings across form Ark Memorial, in full Commander attire, waiting for the blonde doctor to end her shift and emerge from the hospital. _Only for the business deal_ , Lexa thought to herself again. She chose to ignore the way her heart thumped just a little harder at just the thought of the blue-eyed trauma surgeon. _Developing feelings for Clarke would be detrimental_ , she decided. She had determined a long time ago that it was better if she was alone. No strings meant that no one else was in danger because of her. _Love is Weaknes,_ she reminded herself, _You let it make you weak once. That cannot happen again._ This life that she led, that she chose, meant that people close to her would get hurt. Would die. That had already been proven.

………………

It was 1:00 a.m. by the time Clarke finished her last rounds for the night and decided to call it quits. Her shift had technically ended 2 hours ago, but there had been a car accident and the hospital was short-staffed as usual. When duty called, she had to answer. She hoped that once Trikru took control of the hospital, they might at least get enough nurses and doctors to staff the place. The sliding doors at the entrance of the building squeaked open as she made her exit. She was dog tired. Sleep had not come easy after the events of three days ago. When she did sleep, she had dreams of masked men and brave vigilantes and usually woke up covered in sweat and out of breath. She thought about taking the short cut through Ton D.C. again, but decided not to test her luck.

The streets were quiet and almost empty as she began her long trek home. She hoped that the walk would drain what little energy she had left, so maybe she might get some dreamless sleep tonight. She focused on the steady sound of her feet on pavement, the steady foot falls calming her racing mind. She turned the corner onto the street before hers, but paused for just a second. It seemed unusually deserted. She looked up and down the street cautiously, but nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. It was well lit, and she couldn’t spot any unsavory characters hanging about. She chalked it up to the recent traumatic events she had endured and her frazzled nerves. She had continued half way down the street before she heard the soft thump behind her.

…………

It was too late when Lexa realized that this had been an incredibly stupid idea. She had planned on just getting a glimpse of Clarke to satisfy the need to know she was fine, but when she had caught that glimpse of her, she had felt this pull to follow. Now, she had followed her almost all the way home. Not only that, but she had felt the unwavering need to hear the doctor’s voice. To have Clarke confirm that she was here and alive and well. Before she knew it, she had jumped down from the rooftops she had been running along and exposed herself.

The doctor’s back had gone completely ridged when she heard Lexa land gracefully behind her. She stood stock still. Lexa was beginning to worry that she had magically turned into a statue. She was about to approach when she noticed the woman in front of her slowly begin to turn. Cautiously, Clarke turned completely around to face her, face pale and eyes wide in fright, but as soon as she laid eyes on who stood behind her, she visibly relaxed. Lexa swore she could feel the breath that Clarke exhaled run all the way down her spine. This time it was Lexa who froze, looking like an animal caught in the headlights of an oncoming car, when Clarke locked eyes with her. The doctor took a step toward her, and it jolted her back to life.

“I only wished to ensure that you were unharmed after the heist,” The Commander said as she took a step away from the doctor, speaking in a deeper tone than usual, hoping that it would prevent Clarke from recognizing her voice. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” She knew she had to get out of there. She couldn’t afford to get swept up in these urges that she could not explain. She turned on her heel and made to leave, coat and sash billowing out dramatically.

“Wait,” came Clarke’s voice from behind her. It was soft and hesitant as if she were speaking to a mythical creature that would disappear if she moved to quickly. It made her halt in her retreat. She heard Clarke move closer to her. “You have a real talent for saving my life. Do I have a vigilante stalker on my hands?” The question was asked with a teasing tone. A soft smile spread across the Commander’s face, but she schooled her hard mask back into place quickly.

The Commander turned to face the teasing doctor. She was much closer than Lexa had expected. If she wanted, she could reach out and brush the doctor’s hand, maybe even a cheek. She noticed the way the doctor’s lip curled up in a half smile and fought the urge to press her lips to the other woman’s. “You have a real talent for getting into trouble,” she retorted. At this, Clarke actually smiled, a real ear-to-ear, face-splitting grin, and Lexa’s heart danced in her chest.

“I suppose I should be grateful then,” she said as she looked down at her feet shyly, before looking back up at the war-paint covered face staring down at her.

The Commander simply nodded a “your welcome” as she gazed at the girl in front of her. Clarke noticed her eyes go stormy, and her brow stitch together in a frown. A tentative hand reached out to gently brush the bandage that covered the cut on the doctor’s neck. “He hurt you,” the vigilante said darkly. It was almost a growl. The intimacy of the moment began to abate as fury rose up in Lexa’s chest, heat rising all through her body at the thought that someone had harmed Clarke. The tension was chased away almost as quickly by a soft hand resting atop her own, giving a gentle squeeze.

“No, no I’m okay,” Clarke reassured soothingly, searching the features before her, “It’s just a little scratch.” She noticed the shadow covering the vigilantes jaw. It was a deep purple. Then she saw the split in her lip, the laceration on her cheek. “Looks like I’m not the only one that came away with a few battle scars,” she said as she reached a hand up to touch the strong, bruised jaw. It was only now that Clarke realized the intimacy of their position. Her hand covering the vigilante’s that rested on her neck, other hand reaching out carefully, almost cautiously to caress the woman’s jaw.

The position had never been lost on Lexa. She had reached out for Clarke before she had realized what she was doing, had felt the familiar heat of anger rising in her, and then had it chased away again by a simple touch. Her touch. It took all of her strength to control her breathing. She willed her heart not to leap out of her chest. She watched Clarke as she reached out for her. When the doctor’s hand made contact with her injured jaw, electricity shot all through the vigilante’s body. She had closed her eyes and breathed in deeply as the hand made contact. Clear, cerulean blue stared up at her when she re-opened them. And that was it. Lexa was captured. Her eyes darted down to Clarke’s lips, and she felt herself lean in to her gravitational pull.

Just as their lips almost brushed, the crash of a trash can further down the street startled them apart. Clarke whirled around to see what had caused the racket. She saw a mangy yellow cat shoot across the alley. When she turned back around, the Commander was gone.

…………….

Lexa jumped on her bike and kicked it to life. The motor revved loudly and she sped out of the spot where she kept her bike hidden while she was patrolling. Her head was still fuzzy, and she knew she had to keep going in order to keep herself from turning around. When the cat had knocked over the trash can, it had broken Lexa’s daze just enough for her to realize what she was doing. She had taken the split second to escape, leaving the blonde doctor undoubtedly confused. She had almost given in. Almost surrendered. But that would have been a mistake. Lexa knew that if she had kissed Clarke, then her resolve would have crumbled. As she peeled out of the city, she reminded herself over and over again.

_**Love is weakness.** _

_**LOVE IS WEAKNESS.** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can also catch me on:  
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday guys! As always, let me know what you think!

Chapter 11

Raven sat at her computer in an old pair of worn out jeans and her favorite Stanford hoodie. Her messy bun fell to the side of her head. A pizza box containing a half-eaten cheese pizza sat beside her along with about 5 drained cans of Mountain Dew. It was almost 3 in the morning, but Raven was wide awake furiously jotting notes in a notebook and comparing news broadcasts, articles, and police reports. It had been two weeks since Lexa had asked her to run that car tag, 11 days since she had asked her to track the arrow, 7 days since Lexa had shown up to the office, and about 30 minutes since Raven’s suspicions had been all but confirmed.

At first, Raven hadn’t given the CEO’s strange requests much thought, figuring that all rich people were eccentric and Lexa was no exception. Then she had found the information about Quint Black and his involvement with the terrorist group, the Pauna. Why would Lexa try to contact a man like that? Did she know that he was a wanted criminal? The bank heist and her worry for Clarke had distracted her momentarily, but as soon as the blonde had mentioned men in gorilla masks and the appearance of the Commander, Raven’s curiosity and insatiable hunger for uncovering the truth had kicked in full force. She had planned to confront the CEO about her involvement with Quint Black, but after the day of the bank heist, Lexa had failed to return to work. When Raven contacted her personal assistant, the girl had waved her off stating that Ms. Woods was out of the office on business and was unsure of when she would return. How convenient.

The extra time to investigate gave Raven time to look into other avenues of information. For the last 7 days, she had been investigating and building her case. The work had consumed her so much that she had barely been able to carry out her duties at Trikru. Thank god there hadn’t been anymore communications emergencies. She felt like she had a strong argument and an overwhelming amount of evidence to support her claim. If Lexa ever decided to return to Trikru, Raven would have quite the bone to pick with her, but all of the evidence was circumstantial. Yes, she could make connections between what she had found about the Commander and Lexa, but there was no concrete, hard evidence that would prove it beyond the shadow of a doubt. Something told Raven that without concrete evidence, Lexa would be able to talk her way out of any accusation.

That is when an idea had struck the clever Latina. Her mind went back to the news story from last week about the three thugs found in the TonD.C. alleyway. One had been shot and killed with an arrow through the head. She pulled up the police report for the case. _Hacking into police records really shouldn’t be this easy,_ she thought to herself. She found the location of the scene of the crime and typed it into Google maps to see what surrounded the area. If she was lucky, there would be a store or shop that had video surveillance to deter thieves and miscreants. A triumphant grin spread across her face as she surveyed the surrounding buildings. The alley was connected to the back of TonD.C. Pawn. Pawn shops almost always have surveillance, especially in TonD.C. _Now all I have to do is_ …She masterfully hit a few keystrokes, clicked a few buttons, and bypassed a few passwords. She was in. She found the file she was looking for and hit play. Her eyes danced with excitement and victory as she watched the video play in front of her. The dark figure that twirled and slashed on the screen was mesmerizing.

“Gotcha,” Raven said as she loaded the video onto a USB drive.

…………

Lexa plopped down into the big, comfy chair at her desk with a huff. The bruise on her jaw had faded enough to be covered with make-up and she was only slightly limping from the cut on her thigh, so today was the first day she had been able to return to work after the bank heist. It seemed like she had been going nonstop all morning. First, Gustus had needed to see her to sign papers for some applied sciences experiment that hadn’t gone quite to plan. Next, Titus had needed to discuss some of the legal procedures involving Ark Memorial which she hadn’t understood in the slightest. Lastly, she had just gotten off the phone with the irate president of one of the companies involved with her Coalition Project. He was upset because he hadn’t been given the opportunity to pitch some idea that Lexa had no interest in. She had soothed his ruffled feathers with what he thought was a sincere apology and the promise to let him speak at the next meeting. The day was a nightmare. It was barely 10 a.m. and she was ready to call it quits.

She let out a deep breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding, and massaged her temples to relieve some of the tension that had built in her brain. Her eyes roamed around the room before landing on the coffee thermos and scones that her assistant had brought in that morning. As if on cue, her stomach let out a ravenous growl alerting her to her suddenly intense hunger. She rose and stiffly made her way over to the tray. She poured the hot coffee, reveling in the scent that wafted up from the cup. Tension immediately lifted from her tired bones as the comforting scent reached her nose. Grabbing a napkin, she scooped up a few scones and made her way back to her seat.

She had barely sat back down and took a sip of her coffee before her office door was being violently thrust open and a determined Raven came rushing in. Lexa’s assistant was right on her heels demanding that the Systems Analyst stop her invasion. The assistant’s cheeks were flushed and eyes wide as she addressed the CEO, “I am so sorry Ms. Woods! I tried to tell her that you were busy and not to be disturbed, but she ran right past me! She just barged right in.”

Raven was standing in the middle of the office with a quirked brow and a cocked hip, “I really think Ms. Woods is going to want to hear what I have to say.” She pinned Lexa with a look that said she meant business, arms crossed over her chest, a tablet in her hand.

Lexa had basically frozen mid-sip and watched the events unfold with a shocked expression. Her expression changed from one of shock to confusion when she saw who had barged in to concern as the words that left the Latina’s mouth reached her ears. “It’s alright,” she said as she sat her coffee down on the desk. “Ms. Reyes must have something very important that she needs to discuss if she is willing to just barge in without setting up a meeting.” She waved her assistant out of the room as she stood from behind the desk.

“Damn straight,” Raven snarked as she eyed the retreating assistant who returned her stare with a look of contempt and a snarl to her lip. Raven simply smiled sweetly before returning her attention back to the CEO.

Lexa waited for the door to close behind her assistant. “Please, have a seat,” she said and swept her hand out to the chairs in front of her desk, “would you like some coffee?” Lexa didn’t give her a chance to refuse before she was moving over to the thermos that held the coffee. “Is this about the arrow that I asked you to look into?”

Raven had planned exactly how she was going to do this. She was going to march straight into Lexa’s office, present the information about Quint, catch Lexa in her lie, and force her to confess. However, when her eyes fell on the CEO looking flawless, as always, in a perfectly tailored suit, doubt came rushing into her head. This woman before her couldn’t possibly be a vigilante. She was a well-known face around Polis, not to mention incredibly busy running a multi-billion dollar company. When would she have time to dress up and chase bad guys? Where would she have even picked up enough combat skill to do it? Raven found herself internally panicking, but then she noticed Lexa’s stiff movement as she walked past to fetch Raven’s coffee. It was barely recognizable, but when one really paid attention the limp was undeniable. Raven’s resolve returned to her.

“I know who you are,” she said firmly. Lexa’s back was to her. She had reached for a coffee cup and was pouring the dark liquid when Raven’s declaration reached her ears. Raven noticed the pause in her actions. Her spine straightened and Raven thought she heard her suck in a breath. She couldn’t see the look on Lexa’s face, but if she had to guess she would bet that her eyes had gone wide. This reaction only lasted for a split second, however, before the CEO relaxed and continued pouring the coffee.

Without missing a beat, Lexa turned to the Systems Analyst with a friendly smile, “Well I would certainly hope so. I am the CEO of this company after all, and we have met several times. I would be worried that you’ve hit your head one to many times if you didn’t know who I was.”

“That’s not what I mean!” Raven explained as her eyes followed the CEO back to her large desk. Lexa gave her a confused look as she sat Raven’s coffee down for her to take. Raven continued, “I know who you are when you’re not being Lexa Woods, CEO.”

“I assure you, Raven, I don’t know what you mean,” Lexa tried to convince the dark haired woman before her. The look of confusion on her face was so genuine that Raven’s resolve almost crumbled again.

“The arrow that you asked me to track down,” Raven began, “It was purchased by a man named Quint Black.” If Lexa knew the name, her expression did not betray her. “Do you know who that is?”

“I’m sorry. It doesn’t ring a bell.”

“He is an ex-marine who was dishonorably discharged for desertion and sexual assault. Not only that, but since his return to the states he has committed a plethora of crimes and is associated with a small time terrorist organization called The Pauna. Their signature is wearing gorilla masks during their attacks to hide their identity,” Raven explained as she dropped one of Black’s mugshots on the desk in front of the CEO. Lexa’s expression was genuine shock as she picked up the image and studied the man in the picture. His eyes were icy and a long blue tribal tattoo ran the length of his face. 

“I knew my friend dealt with some shady characters, but this….”

“Wanna hear something even crazier?” Raven cut in sarcastically, “Our guy here is the son of Samuel Black. Owner of that van that side swiped you on the way to work two weeks ago. How is that gorgeous Ferrari of yours by the way?” Lexa’s eyes snapped to Raven and she opened her mouth to reply, but the Latina threw her hand up, “You know what, don’t even bother. I know you weren’t side swiped, because I pulled the security camera footage from the garage that morning. Your little Ferrari whipped into its spot without one single ding. So why did you have that tag number? What’s your involvement in all this?” Raven paused in her interrogation to see what the CEO might have to say.

Lexa balked. She hadn’t expected this onslaught and was caught off guard. Her mind was struggling to process the information that was being hurled at her. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but all that came out was a surprised, “I…I…Um.” She saw the satisfaction written all over the brilliant Latina’s face.

“I have a theory,” Raven had leaned in and whispered this to her conspiratorially as if she were going to let her in on some big secret. “I think…” Raven wiggled her finger motioning for the CEO to lean towards her. Lexa did as she was bid. “I think that you have quite the evening hobby that involves a red sash and black face paint.” With this Raven clicked her tablet to life and slid it across the CEO’s desk. On the screen was a picture of the Commander.

Lexa studied the image on the screen for a moment. She looked to Raven then back to the screen then back to Raven again. The air held a pregnant pause before a wide smile broke out across the CEO’s face and she laughed. It was the most hardy, sincere laugh Raven had ever heard. Lexa gasped for breath and managed to wheeze out, “You think I’m the vigilante?!”

This wasn’t the reaction Raven had expected at all. She had expected fury or hasty denial, but laughter? _Oh she is a fantastic actress. No wonder no one in the media has made the connection,_ Raven thought to herself. She wasn’t going to be deterred, however. She narrowed her eyes at the giggling CEO, “That isn’t all.” Lexa’s giggles dried up immediately, and Raven could practically see the gears in her brain turning. “The bank heist the other day. The men involved wore gorilla masks and the head honcho executed a security guard by shooting an arrow through his skull. Now class, who has an affinity for arrows and likes to dress up like a gorilla?”

“Quint Black,” Lexa said looking at the mugshot.

“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!” Raven exclaimed with false enthusiasm. “Now my good buddy, Clarke Griffin…you remember Dr. Griffin, right?…..she was assaulted by this masked man. But guess who gave her a hand in escaping.”

“The Commander?” Lexa guessed.

“Right again!”

“I don’t see how any of this links me to the vigilante,” Lexa feigned disinterest.

“That’s because I saved the best for last. When Clarke told me how the security guard was executed, it made me think of a news story that aired recently. It was about some thugs that were apprehended in TonD.C. The cops were too stupid to think of checking security camera footage in the area, but I wasn’t.” Raven picked up the tablet and found a video. She sat it on the table for the CEO to watch. “Those are some fancy moves, but the best part is when that guy fires the arrow into the thug’s skull. He also fires an arrow that grazes the vigilante. Looks like it got her right on the leg. Right on the leg that you’ve been favoring since you came to see me 7 days ago.”

“I told you I pulled a muscle jogging,” Lexa defended.

Raven rolled her eyes, “Well if you need a little more proof, I decided to check the police report for anything else I might have missed. Here is an interesting tidbit. The cops were able to recover a dagger from the scene. They included pictures. I crossed referenced for reports with similar daggers and found 3, all involving the vigilante. You really should be more careful about where you leave those. Now before you try to tell me that they aren’t yours, I traced the daggers back to their manufacturer. Guess who is a regular customer for Digs Custom Weaponry?” Raven swiped a finger on the tablet and an image of order forms came up, Lexa’s name prominently displayed. “You weren’t out on business for the last 7 days,” Raven said more gently. She caught Lexa’s eye and held her gaze, “You were recovering.”

Lexa’s eyes shifted back and forth between Raven’s, trying to come up with a way to refute the accusations. But Raven was smart and thorough, and the evidence she had compiled was simply too overwhelming. She hadn’t left a single stone unturned. Lexa straightened and pinned Raven with a hard glare. “What do you intend to do with this information?” Lexa said lowly, dangerously. “If it’s money you want….”

A look of disbelief shot across Raven’s face. Money? Is that what Lexa thought she was here for? It did make sense, though. A person with less of a moral compass would threaten to expose the CEO. As the realization dawned on Raven she began to soften her approach, “What? No, no I don’t want your money. I don’t want to expose you.”

It was Lexa’s turn to look shocked, “Then why confront me?”

Raven needed no time to think about her answer, “Because I want to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you guys are dying for more Clexa, but bare with me. I have so much story that I have to establish. You can also catch me on:  
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend!

Chapter 12

It had been a month and one week since that fateful meeting with Trikru. Today, Trikru was hosting a press release and banquet at Ark Memorial Hospital. The entire situation had seemed unreal until now. Yes, they had agreed to turn the hospital over to Trikru, but there had been no immediate effects. Nothing had changed. Clarke had been able to put it out of her mind and pretend it never happened. She had gone on treating patients, having lunch with Monroe, and going about her day to day as usual. But today was the day. Today, it became a reality. Today, Clarke would watch Lexa address the press, the staff, the community, and the city. She would tell them that the hospital belonged to her, and Clarke was going to stand right beside her and smile as if she had a choice. As if she had willingly handed the hospital over to Lexa. They would shake hands and appear as allies before everyone. She would smile as if she didn’t feel like she was being defeated in some way.

She checked her appearance in the mirror. She had swept her golden hair up into a lose bun and let a few curls hang loosely in the front. Her make-up was natural, but she had applied her eyeliner thicker than usual making her blue eyes pop. She wore a sky blue, form fitting dress that accentuated her curves and complimented her figure. A pair of tall, white heels adorned her feet. She smiled at her reflection in the mirror. No one could deny that Clarke Griffin cleaned up damn good. If this was to be her day of reckoning, she was going to go down looking like a goddess. A glance at the clock told her that she had better get a move on or be late. She grabbed her purse and coat and moved toward the door. She caught one last glimpse of herself in the mirror and forced herself to smile. Maybe today was not an end. Maybe it was a beginning.

…………………

When Clarke arrived at Ark Memorial, preparations for the day’s celebrations had begun. There was a make-shift stage at the entrance to the hospital with a black podium standing toward the front. Several chairs lined the back of the stage where Lexa and her advisors as well as Clarke and the board would sit. A red and black balloon arch stretched its way across the stage behind the chairs. Trikru’s colors. Clarke felt her chest tighten at the realization. Some reporters had already begun to arrive and set up their gear on the front lawn. The last thing Clarke noticed was a large golden torch perched beside the podium. It sat in its holder on an intricately carved table. She looked at it curiously when she heard someone frantically rushing up behind her.

“Clarke? Clarke is that you?” Clarke turned around to see her mother looking quite frazzled. “Oh thank goodness you’re here. Everything that could possibly go wrong, has,” her mother exhaled exasperatedly. “First, the sound system wasn’t working. Then, the balloon arch blew away. Luckily, Monty was able to piece it back together. Now, the caterer that is supposed to bring the cake for the banquet has a flat tire and no idea of when it will be fixed. I’m already ready to pull my hair out!”

Clarke smiled at her mom sympathetically, “Is there anything that I can help with?”

“Would you go and make sure that the banquet hall is being set up appropriately? I left Jasper in charge, and Monty went to go help, but you know how those two can be. Trikru should be arriving within the hour, so could you greet them and make sure they have everything they need?” Clarke grimaced when Abby mentioned Trikru. Her mother didn’t miss the change in her features. She rubbed her hand up and down Clarke’s arm soothingly, “This is going to be a challenging day for us all, darling.”

Clarke looked into her mother’s eyes, searching for confirmation that everything was going to be fine. All she found there was a mirror of her sadness. She wasn’t the only one feeling defeated. She smiled humorlessly as she nodded her head, consenting to her mother’s requests. Her mother wrapped her in a tight hug, trying her best to reassure her. When she pulled back, she placed her hands on either side of Clarke’s cheeks and forced her to meet her gaze. “We are going to make it, Clarke. We will survive this,” her mother reassured her before kissing her forehead and rushing off to her next task.

Clarke watched her mother go. Before she was out of sight, a far-to-expensive, shiny, black Cadillac Escalade pulled into the round-about. It was shined to perfection with chrome wheels and windows tinted as black as Lexa’s soul. Clarke smiled at her internal joke. It looked every bit as if the President of the United States should be riding in it. Gustus hopped out of the passenger side and quickly made his way around the vehicle to open the door for his boss. He was dressed in another perfectly tailored black suit with dark aviator’s covering his eyes. He reminded Clarke of a secret service man or a bodyguard instead of a CFO. _Maybe he doubles as both_ , Clarke thought to herself. He opened the door and Clarke watched as a nude-colored pump hit the pavement. She also noticed that the pump was attached to a toned, slender leg. When Gustus shut the SUV door, Clarke had to mentally check herself to keep her jaw from dropping to the ground.

Lexa was dressed in a skin tight, evergreen dress that stopped right at her knees. The long sleeves hid the CEO’s arms, but Clarke swore she could see every muscle. A silver necklace depicting a tree in the middle of a circle hung from her neck. It was just large enough to be complimenting, but not overbearing. Her chestnut locks were left to flow down over her shoulder in soft curls. A dark pair of fashionable sunglasses perched on her stoic face. Clarke swallowed her initial attraction as she reminded herself who stood in front of her. She forced a smile and approached the pair. “Ms. Woods,” she greeted, extending her hand to Lexa.

Lexa removed her sunglasses and stared into Clarke’s eyes with her captivating green orbs, giving her a friendly smile. She took Clarkes hand in her strong grasp, “Please, just call me Lexa. We are partners now, Dr. Griffin. Might I add, that dress is absolutely stunning on you.”

Clarke felt the blush that attacked her body start at her toes and work all the way up to the top of her head. She was struck mute momentarily by the casual way Lexa seemed to charm even her. “Right, uh, Lexa, thank you,” the name felt strange on Clarke’s tongue, and she was unhappy to find her stomach fluttering at the permission to address the CEO by her first name. “You look very nice as well.” Lexa absolutely beamed at the small compliment. Clarke nodded her head toward Gustus, “Hello Gustus. My mom has put me in charge of seeing to your needs and making sure you are ready for the ceremony. Is there anything in particular that you need?”

“I’d like to look around the hospital if that’s alright,” Lexa mused. “I’ve actually never been inside before. You seem like the best person to show me around.” She gave Clarke another dashing smile. Clarke had to keep reminding herself that she didn’t like this person. She thought back to the display of command and dominance she had witnessed the day of the meeting, and reminded herself that this was a predator that stood before her.

“Well, I was actually on my way to the banquet hall to check on progress there. You can tag along of you like.”

“Sounds perfect,” Lexa ducked her head, indicating Clarke lead the way.

……………….

Lexa was trying her best to walk as if she commanded the place. Head held high. Shoulders pushed back. She walked as if she were royalty….usually. However at the moment, she kept catching herself staring at the perfectly round backside of a beautiful, blonde doctor. She was glad that she had been wearing sunglasses when she first laid eyes on Clarke, because she was pretty sure her eyes popped out of her head. She prided herself in the fact that she had maintained her cool and had even given the doctor a smooth compliment. Clarke’s dress hugged her in all the right places, and Lexa had a hard time not imagining her hands on the doctor’s curvy hips. The color of the dress had turned Clarke’s eyes into bottomless pools and all Lexa wanted to do was drown. She felt her cheeks blush at the thought and mentally admonished herself. Clarke’s beauty had never been lost on the CEO. From the moment she had saved her from that grungy heathen in the alley, Lexa had thought Clarke was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She theorized that the girl might be an angel sent straight from heaven. Her sultry voice was music to Lexa’s ears, and she wished that she could record it to play on a loop all the time. Every time Lexa crossed paths with Clarke, her affections grew. And they had encountered each other quite often, unknown to the blonde herself.

“And this is one of our many nurse’s stations,” Clarke pointed out,” but this one is important, because my office is just right around that corner.” Clarke came to a sudden stop in front of the station, and Lexa had to act quickly to avoid bumping into her. Thankfully, Clarke didn’t seem to notice. “This is Monroe. She keeps me and the E.R. running smoothly.”

Clarke motioned toward a red-headed girl behind a big desk. She had a friendly face and kind green eyes that sparkled when Lexa met them. “Monroe,” Lexa tested her name and stuck her hand out, “I’m…”

“Lexa Woods!” Monroe exclaimed excitedly, jumping up from her seat and grabbing Lexa’s hand, “I’m a huge fan. You’re even more gorgeous in person.” Lexa flashed her an award winning smile, and Clarke rolled her eyes so hard that Lexa thought they might fall right out of the sockets.

“Monroe reads a lot of tabloids,” Clarke quipped. Lexa’s smile faltered slightly at the obvious jab and she glanced down at her feet. Monroe sent daggers at Clarke.

“Ehhmm,” Lexa cleared her throat awkwardly trying to break the sudden tension. She straightened her spine and locked eyes with Monroe, “Well you know what they say, don’t believe everything you read…..only most of it.” She grinned again and winked. Clarke was unaware that a person could turn the shade of red that Monroe turned. The girl actually giggled.

Clarke tried to swallow her annoyance, and maybe a little hint of jealousy. No, no definitely just annoyance. She wasn’t jealous of the attention given to Monroe. “Well, we really should move along. I’m sure Monty and Jasper have destroyed the banquet hall by now. See you later, Monroe,” she huffed.

“Oh, okay,” Monroe said with disappointment. She turned to Lexa, huge grin returning to her face, “If you ever need anything, Ms. Woods, just let me know. I’ll get you whatever you need.”

_Oh gross,_ Clarke thought, _I’m sure you would._ She rolled her eyes and turned in a hurry, marching off in the direction of the banquet hall. Lexa chuckled at the doctor’s reaction. She turned back to Monroe briefly, “I’ll be sure to do that. And please, it’s just Lexa. Have a wonderful rest of the day.” Then she hurried off to catch up with the rapidly retreating doctor leaving a very star-struck Monroe in her wake.

…………….

Clarke marched rapidly in the direction of the banquet hall. Her annoyance with Lexa Woods had grown ten-fold. _No wonder she gets everything she wants,_ Clarke thought, _if she isn’t forcefully taking everything you have, she’s charming your pants off_. She couldn’t blame Monroe really. If it hadn’t been for the situation with the hospital and her personal attachment to it, she would probably have the same reaction to the stunning brunette. She glanced back to see if the CEO was still following her. She was. Her long strides, graceful and sure, allowed her to easily keep pace with Clarke’s shorter, clunkier ones. Her observant eyes were taking in everything the hospital had to offer. _Deciding what she is going to change first, no doubt._ She finally reached her destination in front of the banquet hall and halted to let her follower catch up.

“This is the banquet hall,” she informed Lexa as she approached, “I just need to pop in and make sure everything is going to plan. You can stay out here and look around if you want.”

“I’d like to meet Monty and Jasper. I find it beneficial to meet employees face-to-face.”

Clarke’s eyes clouded over and the corner of her mouth turned down, “Right, I suppose it would be beneficial for them to meet their new boss.”

Lexa noticed the shift in Clarke's already annoyed mood.“I only meant that I want to seem personable. Not like some invading power swooping in to take their jobs away,” Lexa paused, she waited for Clarke to look up at her. When the doctor’s eyes met hers she tried to convey all the sincerity within her, “Because I’m not, Clarke. I’m here to make things better. For the patients, for the community, for the employees,” she looked away from the doctor’s gaze to fiddle with some non-existent lint on her dress before adding softly, “for you….” There was a small awkward pause at the admission, but Lexa added quickly, “This transition does not have to be an unpleasant one.”

Clarke was taken aback. She could see the sincerity all over Lexa, but there was something in her that wouldn’t let her trust her….not yet. She heaved out a heavy sigh, “Let’s just take it one step at a time.” Then she turned from the CEO’s burning gaze and headed into the banquet hall.

……………..

Monty and Jasper had actually managed to make the place look pretty decent. At the front of the hall, was a long table draped with a white table cloth where Lexa, her advisors, Clarke, and the board would sit. There was a gorgeous arrangement of red gladioluses in the middle of the table. The flowers’ long petals stood up straight and sharp making them appear almost as dangerous as they were beautiful. About five shorter tables were placed vertically in the middle of the hall so that the attendees would have a view of the long table. This is where the employees and other individuals that had been invited to the day’s event would be sat. Half of these tables had been covered with alternating red and black table clothes with a smaller arrangement of white gladioluses in the middle.

“No, Monty,” the taller boy with shaggy black hair said, “Look, you might know a lot about computers, but you have no idea how to properly fold the corner on a table cloth to make it fall just right. I did all the rest of them perfect!”

“If you think that is perfect,” said the smaller Asian boy with smooth dark hair that hung down to his eyebrows, “then you are sorely mistaken. Anyone could see that it’s crooked.” The boy motioned to the table beside him.

The two looked like they had been at this argument for a while when Clarke and Lexa approached them. The doctor smirked at their antics. “What are you two arguing about now?” she asked playfully. The boys’ heads shot up and broke into wide grins when they spied Clarke.

“Clarke!” Jasper shouted and lopped over to Clarke to give her a big hug. “Did Mama Griffin tell you to come check on us? Because I told her that I would totally rock this decorating thing. It’s bad enough she sent Monty.” Jasper rolled his eyes dramatically as his Asian friend appeared beside him smiling. Jasper’s eyes fell on Clarke’s companion. “Well, hello hello,” he said slicking back his hair, “My name’s Jasper Jordan. And you are?”

“Lexa Woods,” Clarke answered for Lexa with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk. Jasper balked and turned a violent shade of crimson.

“You’re THE Lexa Woods?!” Monty chimed in excitedly grabbing Lexa’s hand and shaking it, “I am such a huge fan of your company’s technological breakthroughs. I’ve been following your work on developing technology that allows small devices to run off energy harvested from nearby power sources and it is absolutely fascinating. Backscattering is going to be the next huge development in the way we power our lives!”

Lexa smiled enthusiastically at Monty as he babbled on, eyes wide with excitement. “Thank you. I don’t understand everything that our technology department is working on, but I hear its exciting stuff,” she humored him.

Clarke decided to save her from the excited boy. Did everyone have to gush over her so much? “This is Monty,” she chuckled. “He is our I.T. guy. He keeps all of our ancient machines running. And you already know Jasper’s name, but he heads our Pharmacy Department.”

“If you need some drugs, I got you,” Jasper said with a wink as he shook Lexa’s hand.

Lexa chuckled, “It is very nice to meet you both. The banquet hall looks wonderful.” Both boys looked at each other and then back at Lexa with a huge smile at the compliment. They looked like two puppies wanting to appease their master.

_Suck ups,_ Clarke thought with another eye roll. “I was showing the boss around the hospital, but mom asked me to check in on you two and make sure you weren’t tearing the place apart. Looks like you’ve managed to not destroy everything,” Clarke teased. “Do you need any help with anything?”

“I think we have it under control,” Monty replied, “if Jasper would learn how to fold a tablecloth.” Monty quickly dodged Jasper’s attempt at putting him in a headlock before dancing around the table. Lexa and Clarke laughed at the boys antics. Clarke noticed that it felt nice to laugh with Lexa. It felt natural. Before she could even begin to think of processing those feelings, they were interrupted by Gustus.

“Heda,” Gustus used her nickname, “It’s almost time for your speech. The press would like to get a few photos before it begins.” Lexa’s corporate mask fell back into place.

“I’ll be right there,” she told him before turning back to Clarke. Her mask was in place, but her eyes were gentle when they fell to Clarke’s gaze, “I’ll see you out there.” She turned on her heel and walked out of the room regally. For the first time, Clarke thought that maybe this was hard for Lexa too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can also catch me on:  
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! I just wanted to say that I got so many kind comments on the last chapter and you guys really made my week, so thank you. I'm glad that so many of you are enjoying this fic. I hope everyone had a great week end and has a fantastic week!

Chapter 13

Everyone had mostly taken their places on the makeshift stage by the time Clarke made it back out to where the press conference would be held. Lexa sat in the middle, back straight and gaze impassive yet authoritative. Gustus sat immediately to her right and Titus was next to him followed by an icy looking woman that Clarke had yet to meet. To Lexa’s left sat Director Jaha, Chairman Kane, and then two empty seats that Clarke assumed would be occupied by her and her mother. The press was all a buzz with gossip and flashing lights as they took as many pictures of the famous CEO as possible. Clarke felt a hint of stage fright creep into her belly. How can Lexa sit up there looking uninterested and bored with all these people looking at her? Clarke’s thoughts were once again interrupted by her mother.

“Almost time,” Abby sighed as she came up to stand beside Clarke, “I wanted to let you know what you will be expected to do in this little ceremony. Thelonious will open up with a few words, Lexa will follow up with a short speech, and then she is going to ask you to light the torch beside the podium with her.”

Clarke snapped her eyes to her mother in confusion, “What? Why?”

“Apparently it’s some sort of Trikru tradition. They light a torch to symbolize an end to the past and the start of the new beginning.”

“Okay…but why would I be the one? Shouldn’t that be you or Director Jaha?”

“Ms. Woods said that she was going to ask you specifically. None of us thought to question her. She…seems to trust you, I think.”

Clarke didn’t know how to feel about this new information. She was excited that Lexa preferred her over the board members, but having to light the torch felt almost like it was a slap in the face. Lexa was forcing her to publicly surrender to her. “Do I need to say anything?” Clarke asked.

“Only if you want to,” Abby answered. She placed a hand on her daughter’s back and began to walk with her toward the stage. “Let’s take our places.”

Clarke tried to swallow her nerves. Everything was becoming so real so fast. She began climbing the stairs that lead up the stage. Her eyes ghosted to Lexa as she reached the top and caught the CEO quickly turn away as her eyes landed on her. She felt warmth in her cheeks at realizing that Lexa was watching her. She and Abby took their seats as Jaha stood up and walked over to the podium. The crowd of press, community members, and staff visibly quieted down as he took his place.

“Good afternoon,” he began in his smooth baritone, “thank you all so much for joining us on this momentous occasion. This hospital has served this community for the past 30 years. You have become a family to us. We have grown up together. Rejoiced together. Mourned together. We have had our ups and downs. Recently, it seemed as if all we had were downs, and we were quickly losing hope that this hospital would be able to remain open. But the night is always darkest before the dawn, and we have found a savior in our friends at Trikru Industries. I am here to announce Trikru’s acquisition of Ark Memorial Hospital. They have agreed to support us and restore this hospital to its former glory. We can’t wait to work with Trikru to build a better hospital for our children, our community, and our city. With that, I would like to introduce the lady of the hour and extend our warmest gratitude to the CEO of this great company, Ms. Lexa Woods.”

Jaha stepped away from the podium and clapped his hands as the CEO gracefully rose from her seat. The audience clapped as well as Lexa walked toward the podium. She stopped to smile warmly at Jaha and clasp his hand in a firm hand shake. Cameras flashed all around them, preserving the moment forever. They looked like they were old friends greeting each other. Clarke thought back to the stand-off they had shared the day of the meeting and was impressed by their ability to hide their true feelings. She knew there was no love lost between the two, but they were both ever the professional. Never letting the media know that there had ever been hostility.

Lexa approached the podium and greeted the enraptured audience with an award winning smile. She gave them a moment to quiet down before beginning, “People of Ton D.C., thank you so much for your warm welcome. I feel truly humbled. It is with great honor and responsibility that I assume my role as leader of this hospital. I say leader and not owner, because I do not wish to own anything. I, instead, aspire to guide the hospital toward bigger, bolder ventures. I know that this establishment has been a source of hope and support to you all, and Trikru is delighted to have the opportunity to become a part of your family. I want to assure you that I am devoted to my family. As members of my family, I intend to bring you the best equipment, most recent treatments and medicines, and employ the brightest doctors. That is what this community needs. That is what this community deserves. That is what this community shall have. For too long this community has been overlooked by the city, but I am here to help you make the first step toward a brighter, healthier future.” Clarke had been just as enraptured by Lexa’s impassioned speech as the rest of the crowd. By this point, they had all erupted into a boisterous round of applause. Lexa paused to allow the noise to die down. When it seemed as if the clapping would go on forever, she raised her hands to quiet the crowd and they responded immediately. She continued, “I sincerely do want to usher this community into a future where we are not only treating disease, but we are proactively working to avoid it. I believe that with my company backing this wonderful hospital and it's staff we can begin to do just that. Trikru has a tradition. When we welcome a new investment or business venture to the company, we light a torch together to symbolize our joining and our commitment to each other. So, at this time I would like to ask Dr. Clarke Griffin to join me here at the podium. As ambassador of the hospital, the honor of lighting the torch will fall to her.”

Lexa stepped back from the podium and turned to face a nervous looking Clarke. Their eyes met and Lexa held a hand out toward the doctor. She gave Clarke an encouraging smile, and Clarke felt herself draw strength from this empowering figure. Her hatred had dissipated and was replaced with a resigned sadness at the inevitability of what she was about to do. She reached the podium and Lexa who looked at her in anticipation. Clarke realized that Lexa was waiting for permission to continue and, her heart skipped a beat at the small token of respect. She nodded for Lexa to continue. Gustus passed two smaller lit torches to Lexa who gazed at them thoughtfully, before turning and uttering, “Clarke.” It was breathy, and was uttered in a way that made it sound like a question, a promise, and an apology all rolled into one. Clarke felt a chill run up her spine as her skin broke out in goosebumps. She looked into those unfathomably green eyes that seemed to be filled with so much sincerity as she grasped her torch and took it from Lexa’s hands. Lexa turned back to the audience to address them again, her voice like thunder in the middle of a storm, “In fire, we cleanse the pain of the past!” She lit her portion of the torch and turned to Clarke expectantly.

Clarke gazed at the torch for a long while, allowing memories and emotions to wash over her like an unwelcome downpour. Everything in her screamed for her to cry, to protest, to refuse, but she swallowed it down. She touched the flame to her portion of the torch, setting it ablaze. As the fire found purchase she spoke solemnly, “Our fight is not over.” When her eyes found the CEO next to her, she was met with understanding and surprise but most importantly admiration.

………….

After the ceremony concluded, Lexa was required to pose for pictures with Ark Memorial’s board and answer questions for the media. She had been so bombarded that she hadn’t seen Clarke slip away. Now that she had been freed of her duty, she couldn’t help searching for the blonde doctor. She had been surprised at Clarke’s words when lighting the torch. The conviction with which Clarke uttered them had struck Lexa at her core. She could tell that Clarke was a formidable ally, and she determined to do everything in her power to win the doctor over. Her position and nighttime activities may prevent her from being close to Clarke in the way she would have preferred, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be friends. She saw something in Clarke to which she could relate. She saw strength and determination coupled with a subtle hint of sadness.

She wandered around the hospital trying to locate the doctor. As she went, she made mental notes about what she would like to improve. The entire hospital needed a remodel. It was clean, but it also looked like it had seen better days. The scuff covered walls needed painting, the chipped floor tiles needed replacing, and there were water spots in various places on the ceiling. She decided that she would add some colorful art to the walls and potted plants to make the place look more inviting. Most of the equipment would need replacing. The machines that she had seen were outdated, and she was curious if they even worked at all. The financial struggle that the hospital was enduring could be seen in every corner, right down to the haggled nurses that bustled from room to room.

The next corner that she turned brought her to a wide window that gave her a stunning view of a garden. For a split second, Lexa thought she had stepped into an alternate reality. The garden looked so out of place. It was filled with beautiful flowers and manicured bushes. A stone walkway was laid so that visitors could walk around to view the colorful plants. Iron benches were sat here and there. It looked like a haven. Lexa’s breath hitched as her eyes found their way to the figure standing before a stone pillar in the middle of the scene. Clarke stood looking down at a plaque that was mounted on the front of the pillar. The sunlight shone down on her golden hair creating a halo of light. Lexa noticed that she had the most heart-wrenching look of sadness on her beautiful features and she stood as if she could barely hold the weight that bared down on her. It was a picturesque image of ethereal, tragic beauty.

In that moment, Lexa realized what the pair had in common. They were both just young women with a responsibility far too large for any young person to have to bare. They had both loved greatly and lost. They were both fighting for what they believed in, trying to honor their dead. She also realized that Clarke had not reached the state of mind that she had. She knew that when it came to being a leader, emotions had no place no matter how much they scrapped at your insides until they were raw. Lexa felt herself moving forward. Before her thoughts caught up with her, she had pushed out of the door to the garden, walked the short distance to what she now realized was a monument to Jake Griffin, and stood beside the angelic figure that was Clarke Griffin. Clarke had glanced her way when she first approached, but they stood in heavy silence for a moment. Lexa kept her face stoic and her posture commanding while she formulated her next move.

Finally, she decided that she wanted to show Clarke that they weren’t so different. She needed Clarke to understand her actions and the decisions she had to make, so she began, “I lost someone special to me, too.” Her voice was heavy with emotion, but it was even. She kept her eyes forward, focused on the monument. Clarke simply looked in her direction, so she continued, “Her name was Costia. She was kidnapped by someone who believed they could force my family to meet impossible ransom demands for her return. When we didn’t meet their demands fast enough, they beat her and put a bullet in her brain. They dumped her body in front of the gates at my family’s estate.”

“I’m sorry,” Clarke offered lamely at the gruesome revelation, giving Lexa a look of pained alarm.

“I thought I’d never get over the pain, but I did,” her voice had taken on a low tone. Her emotions threatened to spill out, but she kept her eyes forward and her features controlled.

“How?” Clarke mumbled in barely a whisper.

It was Lexa’s turn to look at Clarke, “By recognizing it for what it is. Weakness.” Lexa needed Clarke to know that sometimes decisions needed to be made regardless of how much it hurt. A leader couldn’t let emotion cloud their judgement.

“What is? Love?” Clarke asked incredulously. Lexa simply nodded as an answer. “So you just stopped caring? About everyone?” Lexa simply offered an affirmative nod again. “I could never do that.”

“Then you put the things you care about in jeopardy. And the pain will never go away,” Lexa hadn’t meant for this conversation to take this turn, but she felt that Clarke needed to be aware of decisions that she might have to make that would be hard. She needed Clarke to be able to put her emotions aside and make decisions with a clear head. “The dead are gone, Clarke. The living are hungry.”

With that, the CEO turned on her heel and marched back toward the hospital, leaving a stunned Clarke in her wake. She found no solace or extra resolve in their conversation. In fact, she felt all those emotions that she had kept buried for so long begin to bubble their way to the surface.

.........

The banquet hall was buzzing softly with conversation when Clarke made her entrance. Lexa was already sat in the middle chair at the table at the front of the room. Her advisors sat in the chairs to her left. Clarke chanced a glance at the CEO, who sat impassively in her seat. The charming smile that Lexa had worn earlier was absent and her face had taken on a dark expression. Clarke wondered if it had anything to do with their conversation in the garden. She noticed that most of the board had already taken their seats as well, but the seat on Lexa’s right side was empty. Clarke made her way to the long table to take the empty seat beside Chairman Kane. When she reached out for the chair, he stopped her. “Ms. Woods requested that you sit next to her during the banquet,” he explained.

Clarke looked to the empty seat next to the CEO and worried her lip. “Are you sure? Shouldn’t Director Jaha sit there? Or my mother?”

Kane simply shrugged, “She asked for you.”

Clarke let out a deep sigh as she made her way over to sit next to Lexa. As she sat, Lexa simply nodded her greeting and continued to stare off into the crowd impassively. Clarke could feel tension rolling off of the CEO and awkwardness seeped into her veins. She tried her best not to fidget and let it show. Luckily, it wasn’t long before the rest of the board took their seat and Kane was standing up tapping his fork against a glass, settling everyone down. He let everyone wander to their seats before he began, “Well, what a momentous occasion. Thank you all for joining us. I know we have already had an official ceremony, but we wanted to host a banquet for the employees with Trikru so that we could all get to know each other just a little bit better. Acquisitions like this can be stressful, and we want to make sure that everyone is as comfortable as possible.” Clarke noticed Lexa give an affirmative nod out of her peripheral vision and could see that a polite smile had returned to the CEO’s face now that the attention was once again on her. Clarke also noted that the smile was nowhere near as bright as it had been. Kane continued, “To show our appreciation to Trikru and to say welcome to the family, we have purchased a special bottle of wine that I would now like to present to Ms. Woods.” Kane motioned for someone toward the back to come forward, and Lexa stood regally to accept the gift.

“Wow,” Lexa said as she took the bottle gratefully. “I truly do feel humbled by you all. Thank you Chairman Kane and everyone here at the hospital.” She examined it with a polite but proud smile before passing it over to Gustus. “I feel that I should say a few words that are meant just for you guys. As Chairman Kane said, acquisitions can be a stressful, scary process, and I’m not here to say that it will always be easy. However, I want all of you to rest assured that I am going to work very closely with Dr. Griffin and the board to make sure that everything goes as smoothly as possible. You all have worked so hard to keep this hospital going, and I hope that I can only assist you in furthering the potential of this establishment.” Lexa stooped to pick up her glass and held it up to the audience, “Today, we celebrate our new union. Tomorrow, we begin to build our future.” Here Lexa paused and let her eyes settle on Clarke. When cerulean eyes settled on emerald ones she continued slightly softer, “To those we have lost. And to those we shall soon find.” Soft applause filled the room, and Clarke’s eyes never left Lexa’s.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can also catch me on:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday readers! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. As always, thank you so much for reading and leaving kudos/comments. I love to hear what you guys think.

Chapter 14

The Commander whipped her bike around a stopped station wagon and sped through a red light. The sound of horn blasts and tire screeches reached her ears as her pursuers struggled to keep up with her. It was much easier to maneuver around the traffic with her bike, but she couldn’t seem to shake the black car that had been chasing her ever since she escaped Black's warehouse. Some of the Intel that Raven had found about Quint had led her there. It was supposed to just be reconnaissance, but she had seen an opportunity to seize a laptop that was left unattended and took it. Unfortunately, one of Quint’s goons had decided to walk back into the room as she grabbed the device, and she had been running ever since. “Anya,” she spoke into the mouth piece secured to her helmet, “I think I’m gonna need some help getting out of this one.” She shifted gears and pressed the bike to go even faster, dodging in and out of traffic expertly.

“We agreed that you wouldn’t engage!” Anya spat furiously.

“Let’s save the lectures for when I’m not being chased by murderous thugs.”

“I’ve got your location. There is a sharp right coming up in 3….2…1 take it now!” Lexa jerked the bike to the right, narrowly dodging a parked truck. She glanced over her shoulder just in time to see the black car slide around the corner after her. It did not miss the truck, but that didn’t slow them down any.

“Shit! It didn’t work!” She bared down on the accelerator forcing the bike to pick up speed again. The car behind her picked up speed and got uncomfortably close. She saw one of the thugs lean out of the passenger side window. Suddenly there was a storm of bullets raining down on her. “Shit! Gun!” she yelled as she put a large moving truck between her and the pursuers to block them from getting a good shot.

“Okay, okay there is a parking garage coming up on the left. Looks like you can go straight through it. The car won’t be able to follow because of the blockade that comes down when you try to exit.” Lexa quickly turned into the parking garage and sped across it to the exit. She narrowly avoided the exit blockade as she came out on the other side and sped into traffic causing several cars to throw on their brakes. Anya was wrong about the car not following. They blew straight threw the blockade as if it wasn’t even there, splinters and debris flying everywhere as they cut off the oncoming cars and sped after the vigilante.

“Well that plan was a bust,” Lexa was trying to think quickly as she dodged the slower moving vehicles around her. “I have an idea.”

“Lexa,” Anya said apprehensively, “Please don’t do anything stupid.”

“See you on the other side,” she replied with a smile. She secretly loved these parts. Something about looking death in the eye and spitting in its face satisfied a deep need within her. She bared down on the bike’s accelerator, willing it to go as fast as it could. The car pursuing her fell behind minimally, but it was just enough. Once her bike reached its top speed, she slammed on the brakes, whipping the bike around 180 degrees in a cloud of smoke. She bared down on the accelerator heading in the opposite direction toward the pursuing car. She sped past them before they could realize what had happened. She heard them whip their car around causing another commotion of car horns and squealing tires, but she had put enough distance between her and them. She jerked the bike onto a narrow side street and out of sight.

She didn’t slow down until she was sure that she had lost the pursuing car. She breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled her bike into a back alley and dismounted. “That was a close one, huh An?” she laughed. She gave the bike a once over to make sure no stray bullets had found purchase.

“It’ll be real funny when I’m scraping your guts off the pavement because you’ve been run over by psycho terrorists,” Anya snarked.

“Oh Anya,” Lexa sighed romantically, “You say the sweetest things.”

Anya made a disgusted noise, “You’re intolerable.”

“Son of a bitch!” Lexa exclaimed as she pulled the laptop from her bag. Three bullet holes littered the device. “They shot the laptop!”

Anya scoffed, “Figures.”

“It’s ruined!” Lexa fumed. “All of that for nothing!”

“I know one person that could salvage it. Maybe you could…”

“Absolutely not! I already told her no deal. She refused to help anymore unless I change my mind.”

“So maybe it’s time you change your mind. You have to admit we could use someone like her. She already knows your little secret.” Lexa let out a frustrated grunt and kicked the tire of her bike. “What the hell is wrong with you?” came the voice in her ear.

“I hate it when you’re right.”

………….

 

Raven was elbow deep in popcorn and engrossed in a gory murder mystery when the knock came at the fire escape door. Popcorn soared through the air, as she let out a high-pitched scream and jumped nearly out of her skin. “Hey, are you okay in there?!” came the voice of whoever was outside the door. Raven didn’t answer as she stood from her spot on the bed and walked toward the door wide-eyed. Clarke had always said that someone was going to come in the fire exit door one day and murder Raven in her sleep. Was today finally the day? She picked up a miniature baseball bat that was lying on her side table, a souvenir from her and Clarke’s first friend date. “Hello!” the voice called out again, it sounded oddly familiar, “if you don’t open this door in 5 seconds, I am going to assume you’re dead and just bust in!”

Raven reached the door and prepared herself to face her visitor. She raised the mini-bat over her head, grasped the door handle, and threw the door open. “Get back you street scum!” she exclaimed as she tried to bash the bat into the person’s skull.

“Woah! Woah! Easy!” the figure shouted as she caught the bat that was coming for her head. Raven barely got a glimpse of her visitor before her wrist was captured. The intruder whipped Raven around so that her back was pressed into the intruder’s front. Both of the intruder’s arms wrapped around her in an iron grasp, effectively holding her arms down and immobilizing her. “It’s me, Raven! It’s Lexa!” She had whispered the last part to keep any other present parties from hearing, but she was sure that the commotion Raven had caused would have alerted anyone else that might have been at home.

“Lexa?” Raven asked, calming down minimally.

“Yes, Lexa. You know, that girl you work for?” Lexa released her from the bear hug that she was holding her captive in, fairly certain that she was out of danger of anymore skull bashing attempts.

Raven was getting over her initial shock and stepped aside to let Lexa enter. “Why the hell did you come up the fire escape? You scared the shit out of me. We do have a front door you know?”

Lexa looked at Raven exasperatedly as she motioned up and down her body with her hand, “I didn’t know if Clarke was here or not. I couldn’t risk her seeing me, though I’m sure she would have found out anyway with the commotion you caused. You scare far too easily.”

“Oh my god, you’re the Commander,” the words tumbled out of Raven’s mouth in a surprised hurry as she threw her hands up to her mouth in renewed shock.

Lexa gave Raven a suspicious look, “Okay, Reyes, I know you couldn’t have possibly forgot confronting me. Have you hit your head again?”

Raven, finally over her shock, looked up at Lexa defiantly, “You know, Woods, you can’t just barge into someone’s apartment looking like some comic book superhero, interrupt their perfectly peaceful evening, and just expect them to carry on a normal conversation.”

Lexa ignored Raven’s sass and stormed past her, coat and sash billowing behind her dramatically. She pulled the destroyed laptop from her bag. “I need your help,” she informed as she laid the laptop out on Raven’s bed. “This is from one of Quint Black’s base of operations. He wasn’t there. Unfortunately, it got shot up in my escape. I need you to see what you can salvage and get anything of use off of the hard drive.”

“Hold up,” Raven stated as she crossed her arms and cocked her hip to the side. She raised a sculpted brow at the Commander, “I already told you that I am done helping you unless you agree to make me a full time member of your team. You turned me down, remember?”

“Raven, I don’t have time to debate this with you…”

“Then I don’t have time to look at that laptop,” Raven interjected looking at her nails with disinterest.

“Do you want to help me save the city or not?”

“Have you reconsidered my offer?”

“No.”

“Then I guess not.”

“Ugggggh, why are you being so difficult?! I am trying to protect you! You don’t want to be involved in these things.”

“I’m already involved! I can help you better if I really know what’s going on! I probably could have already helped you catch this guy!”

“You would be helping me right now.”

“That’s not what I mean and you know it!” Their argument was interrupted by the sound of the front door being opened.

“Ray!” they heard a familiar voice call out, “Ray, are you home!”

“Shit! It’s Clarke,” Raven whispered. “You have to get in the closet!”

“What? Why?” Lexa said confused as Raven started pushing her toward her closet.

“She’s gonna barge in here. She never knocks. She’s super rude.”

“Just go out there and talk to her.”

“Ray! I thought I might order some take out. Have you eaten already?” Clarke’s voice was closer and getting closer with every second.

“There’s no time!” Raven panicked, opening the closet door and shoving Lexa inside. She had just enough time to shut the door and turn around as a blonde head peeked into her room. “Clarke! What are you doing here?”

“I live here remember? Were you talking to someone just now?”

“Hm? Oh just myself probably. You know how I like to do that.”

Clarke walked further into her room, “Right, I was just asking if you wanted some take out.” She threw herself onto Raven’s bed with a huff. “I’m starving. Regime change ceremonies are hungry work.”

“Oh I forgot that was today,” Raven said as she came to sit down beside Clarke, “Everything okay?”

Clarke looked down at her hands in thought for a moment before nodding her head, “Yeah. Yeah, I think it will be. I think I may have judged Lexa too harshly.”

In the closet, Lexa had been trying not to move which proved difficult at the angle she had to stand. Raven’s closet was small and she had it filled with all manner of things. She had to stand completely still to keep from knocking anything over and making noise. When she heard her name fall from Clarke’s lips, her ears perked up. “What caused the change of heart?” came Raven’s response. So Lexa’s fears were true. Clarke had hated her for the decisions she had to make.

“It’s just…..everything she has said so far makes it sound like she genuinely wants to help the hospital,” Clarke confessed. “Plus, she gave me a sort of pep talk today. At least, I think it was supposed to be a pep talk. It was kind of cryptic.” Raven chuckled at that. Imagine that, Lexa Woods was cryptic. “Anyway, it just made me realize that maybe my emotions were clouding my judgement. Maybe I was standing in the way of what was right for the hospital because of my personal ties to it. I was being weak.”

“Hey, it’s not weakness,” Raven comforted, “you were fighting to help the hospital and TonD.C.”

“Yeah, but at what cost? If Lexa can make things better, why try to stand in the way?”

“You didn’t know if you could trust her,” Raven reassured, hoping that she wouldn’t catch flak from Lexa who was hearing this whole exchange.

“Well, I still don’t know if I can trust her, but I’m willing to give it a shot.” Lexa’s heart jumped for joy at hearing that Clarke wanted to give her a chance. She would prove to Clarke that she could be trusted. She would help Clarke accomplish her goals. Her excitement got the better of her and she moved slightly causing something to shift underfoot which then caused her to bump her head on a shelf. She grabbed her mouth to keep a yelp from escaping and prayed that Clarke hadn’t heard. “What was that?” Shit.

Clarke rose from the bed to approach the closet. “Uhhhhh, what was what?” Raven said jumping in front of the closet and Clarke. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“Something fell. In the closet.” Clarke eyed her suspiciously. She made to step around Raven and open the door.

Raven threw herself back against the door to keep Clarke from opening it. “Oh I cleaned up my room a minute ago…and by cleaned I mean threw all of my stuff in the closet haphazardly. Something probably just fell over. You definitely do not want to see in there or open this door risking a clothes avalanche that will kill us both. Is that how you want to go out? Clothes avalanche? Now, about that take out.” Inside the closet, Lexa was practically dying from fear of being discovered. She could hear her heart beat in her ears.

“Right!” Clarke exclaimed remembering her hunger. She turned and headed out the door, “I was thinking Italian. What do you think?”

“Sounds great!” Raven collapsed against the closet door in relief. She pulled herself together and then opened the door to free Lexa. “That was a close one.”

Lexa emerged rubbing her head where she had bumped it, “Second close one tonight.”

“You owe me, Woods. I could have let her open the door and find you.”

“I think that would have put us both in a rather awkward position, don’t you?”

“I would have just told her that you were into some kinky shit.”

Lexa chuckled, “I still think that puts us both in a rather awkward position. So, will you help me or not?”

“Is this you reconsidering?”

Lexa sighed, “Why do you want to be involved so badly?”

“This city has taken things from all of us.” Raven replied. In that moment, Lexa could see a sadness peeking through Raven’s snarky façade. “I want to help stop the bad guys. Do my part.”

Lexa couldn’t deny her that. She walked over to Raven’s desk and scribbled out an address. “Be at this address tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. Do not be late. If you have some useful information for me…I will reconsider my earlier refusal.”

“Deal! Now get the hell out of here before Clarke comes back.” Lexa waved goodbye and slipped out the door onto the fire-escape.

……………

Lexa walked back toward where she had parked her motorcycle. Her steps seemed considerably lighter after the conversation she had overheard from Clarke and Raven. She wanted more than anything to help Clarke. She knew that she had to practice keeping her at arm’s length and not letting her emotions get involved, but that didn’t mean that they had to despise each other. Or rather Clarke didn’t have to despise Lexa. Lexa had never for a moment thought ill of Clarke. Ideas of how to win Clarke’s trust began to swarm around in her head, and she allowed herself to smile at all of the possibilities. She smiled at the possibility that one day Clarke might treat her like a friend and confidant. She decided that she would have Gustus set up another meeting with Ark immediately so she could get the ball rolling.

Being distracted by thoughts of Clarke and friendship, she almost missed the two figures in the alley up ahead. She happened to look up before they caught sight of her and ducked behind a break in the buildings. She peeked around the corner to see if she could catch a glimpse of what they were doing. They were grungy looking characters. Their clothes seemed to be in all tatters, and their hair was matted to their heads. One looked up for a moment, and Lexa noticed a white substance smeared across his face. They were hunched over something in the alley. Was that a body? She detected two legs sticking out between the figures confirming her suspicion. They had probably mugged him and were now searching him for any valuables. She grabbed her sword from its sheath at her side and stalked toward the figures.

“Doesn’t seem like a safe place to mug someone. Right out in the open like this,” she quipped as she neared her targets. The two figures halted in their actions, and slowly began to turn toward her. Their eyes raked over her body and ferocious sounding growls began to erupt from their throats as they rose to their feet to face her. They were both huge, muscular men. One bared his teeth like a feral dog while the other sank into a lunging stance. Lexa noticed that there seemed to be no sign of humanity in their eyes and there was blood covering most of their faces and dripping down their chins. They moved out to her sides and began to circle her. Predators hunting prey. She braced herself for an attack, lifting her sword.

They snapped to action. The one on her right lunged at her violently, but she side stepped and let him fall to the ground. She kicked him hard in the head with a heavy boot. The other took his opportunity to lung and connected with her fist. He simply shook his head as if to shake off a fly and readied himself to attack again. He ran at her, but she twirled out of the way and connected her sword with his side. He let out a scream as the blade tore into his gut. The other had gotten up off the pavement and grabbed her arms from behind, leaving her open to the man in front of her. He came at her again, despite the wound in his side. She used the man holding her as leverage and brought both legs up to kick out at her attacker. She made purchase with his muscled chest and sent him sprawling onto the pavement gasping for air. The force of the blow had knocked her captor against the alley wall. She head-butted him with the back of her head effectively ramming his head into the wall behind him. He slumped down to the pavement dropping his hold on her, unconscious. She jumped on top of the wheezing man on the ground and brought her fist down across his face several times until he lost his consciousness as well.

She took several deep breaths to calm her racing heart. “Jesus, what were you on?” she panted at the unconscious body. Their victim still lay across the alley unmoving. She plodded over to where he lay to check for any vitals. The scene she was greeted with caused bile to rise in her throat as her stomach churned violently. She dropped to her knees beside the victim, not sure what to do, eyes widening in terror. There was a large bite mark on his neck and another on his shoulder. The flesh had been ripped away. Blood pooled all around him. “Oh my god. Oh my god,” she chanted as she touched his leg. She was sure he was dead.

“Pllleeeaaasssee,” came a barely audible, labored voice. Lexa looked up to see two half-dead eyes staring at her pleadingly. Startled and horrified, she fell back on her butt and used her hands and legs to scramble back several inches. Her hand came up to cover her mouth, eyes wide with shock. “Pllleeeaaasssee. Kill me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (like I have 0 followers that is how much I don't use it) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.   
> Tumblr: akasey47


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday readers! As always, let me know what you think. Thank you to all my readers who have been sticking with me and welcome to all the new readers out there! I hope I continue to keep you all invested.

Chapter 15

Clarke was sat at her mess of a desk, trying to sort out patient files, answer emails, and fill out her proposition for the changes Trikru should focus on first. She had met with the board earlier to discuss their opinions on the matter, but they were divided as usual. She and her mother felt that they should focus on hiring more personnel, Markus Kane thought they should focus more on updating equipment, and Jaha was too busy talking about how much each thing would cost to add any value to the conversation. He was convinced that Trikru would never go along with their suggestions because it would cost more than it was worth. His concern lay in where they were all going to stand as far as pay was concerned now that they had no control over the finances. His attitude made Clarke suspicious as she thought back to what Lexa had said about the holes in their financial structure.

She was relieved when a knock sounded at the door and she could take a momentary break from the ongoing struggle of filing papers and typing up responses. “Come in,” she beckoned her visitor. Her face fell when she realized who it was. Wells Jaha timidly pushed into her office.

“Hi, Clarke,” he mumbled looking up at her with puppy dog eyes. Clarke and Wells had been on the outs ever since her father’s death. She was angry at him for not telling her how dire her father’s situation had become. Clarke was in her final year of medical school when her father fell ill. He and her mother had played it off as nothing to worry about, urging Clarke to stay at school and focus on her studies. Wells was already in his residency here at the hospital when everything went down, and she had relied on him to tell her the truth. He had not. He had lead her on just like her parents, and she hadn’t found out just how sick her father was until it was too late. Her mother had called her in a panic, begging her to fly home immediately. She had jumped on the first flight back to Polis, and barely made it to her father to say her goodbyes before he was gone for good. Wells and her mother had, in a way, robbed her of months that she could have spent with him.

“Wells,” Clarke acknowledged nonchalantly, her eyes going back to the document she was reading, “what can I do for you?”

“I, um,” he shuffled his feet slightly, “I wanted to check on you. See how you were coping with…everything.”

“I don’t need you to check on me, Wells. I’m a big girl. I can handle it.”

“I know you can, but….” Wells rubbed his face and let out a tired sigh. He turned to leave, “You know where I am if you ever want to you know…talk…or whatever.” For the first time, Clarke realized how tired Wells appeared, and not just physically tired. He looked like a man who hadn’t had sleep in years. He looked like he had been plagued by guilt all his life. Clarke’s heart ached for him. In truth, she had missed him too. He was like a brother to her. She had missed their inside jokes, impromptu chess matches, and his friendly smile that made everything seem not quite so serious. If she was willing to give a ruthless business mogul a chance to prove herself, shouldn’t she give her childhood best friend a second chance too?

“Wait,” she called after him. He turned around with a look of confusion on his face and the tiniest glimpse of hope in his eyes. “I think it’s time I let this grudge go. I know it wasn’t completely your fault.” When she met his eyes, she could have sworn there were tears welling up in them.

“I understand why you’re angry,” he said softly. “I should have told you the truth.”

Clarke nodded in agreement, “Yes, you should’ve, but I know you were being pressured by my parents not to. That’s a hard predicament to be put in. The truth is I miss you, Wells. I don’t want to spend any more time angry with you. It only makes things difficult on both of us, and I think we have much more important things to worry about.” She stood up from her desk and walked over to where he stood. “What do you say we let the past be the past and start fresh?” She opened her arms for a hug and waited for Wells to make the next move.

He stood there for a long moment with a look of astonishment on his face. Clarke was beginning to feel awkward when he finally snapped into action and engulfed her in a bear hug. She could fell every muscle in his body physically relax, like the world had been lifted off his shoulders. “Clarke, you don’t know how much this means to me. I have missed you so much,” he sounded on the verge of tears, “I promise I will do whatever it takes to rebuild the trust between us.”

Clarke was amazed by the weight that was lifted off her own shoulders. She had spent the last few years so angry. She had blocked out Wells and her mother in a time when she needed them most. When he finally released her and stepped back, she had to wipe a tear of her own away. “I’m not promising that everything will be exactly the way it was,” she confessed, “not right away anyway, but I’m ready to start rebuilding that trust too.” They shared a smile that was filled with hope, pain, and understanding, and for the first time in a long time, Clarke really started to believe that everything would be okay.

…………..

Lexa made her way up the steps of Polis P.D. She was in somewhat of a hurry, but had managed to convince Gustus to handle some of her meetings. She had to speak with Indra. She usually tried to solve things on her own, not wanting to exhaust her resource with the police, but she was getting nowhere with the Pauna group and now there were insane cannibals roaming the streets. She straightened her suit jacket and ran a hand through her hair before entering the precinct.

Polis P.D. was buzzing with energy as officers processed suspects, filed paperwork, and rushed off to this or that emergency. Lexa confidently strolled past all of them. She nodded her head in greeting at several of the officers with which she was acquainted. Several suspects catcalled her as she walked by them. She simply held her head up higher and continued her regal stroll through the precinct. She finally reached the door with Indra’s name proudly displayed and was dismayed to find the stoic detective missing from her office. She was about to open the door to let herself in when she heard someone approach.

“Excuse me,” came a gruff voice from behind, “can I help you with something?”

Lexa slowly spun on her heel to face a dark-haired girl with determined greyish-blue eyes and a strong, angular jaw. It was the cop that had threatened her and Anya a few weeks ago. Lexa plastered her best professional smile on her face as she tried to control the slight bought of anger that rose in her chest. “I was just looking for Indra. Do you happen to know where I could find her?”

The dark-haired officer looked her up and down suspiciously before answering, “I haven’t seen you around before. How do you know Indra?”

“Family friend.”

“Right, well she stepped out for a bit. Is there something I can do?”

“This really is a matter that I need to discuss with her. I’ll come back another time.” Lexa made to leave, but was halted as the officer stepped in front of her, their chests almost touching. Lexa saw the challenge and straightened instinctively, peering down at the shorter girl with an icy glare.

“If it’s something she can help with, then so can I.” The officer didn’t look away. She maintained her eye contact with Lexa. Something that not many people were brave enough to do. The stand-off was interrupted by another voice approaching.

“Lexa Woods,” Indra broke the tension between the two girls. “What brings you to the belly of the beast?”

Lexa allowed herself to relax, and she stepped away from the woman in front of her as she greeted Indra with a firm handshake and friendly smile. “Indra, it has been too long.”

“That depends on who you’re asking,” Indra gave her a pointed look. The woman beside her, looking a little awkward, made a throat clearing sound. “Ah! I see you’ve met Detective Blake,” Indra introduced as she motioned to her colleague. “Octavia, this is…..”

“Lexa Woods,” Octavia stated as she extended a hand toward Lexa. She did not smile. “CEO of Trikru Industries. You recently acquired Ark Memorial. I’m friends with Dr. Clarke Griffin. My apologies for not recognizing you before.”

“Ah yes, Dr. Griffin is an absolute delight,” Lexa tried to defuse the awkwardness.

“Ms. Woods contributes quite a bit to the Polis P.D. retirement fund, and she set up a charity that helps families of officers killed on duty,” Indra offered, noticing the mild hostility in Octavia’s tone.

“Might as well do something good with all that money,” Octavia gruffed looking Lexa right in the eye.

Lexa’s temper was starting to get the better of her, and Indra could see the red flush creeping up the collected CEO’s neck. “Octavia, why don’t you go check on our friend that we brought in earlier. I hear processing is having a hard time with him.” Octavia gave Lexa one more pointed glare as she stalked off in the direction of processing.

“She’s……..spirited,” Lexa commented as she watched Octavia leave, “That’s the one that tried to detain Anya and me.”

“She’s new and she doesn’t trust anyone,” Indra said plainly, “She doesn’t realize that good and bad isn’t black and white. She thinks the Commander is a criminal that puts herself above the law. She isn’t completely wrong.” Lexa gave Indra an exasperated look at the comment. This was an argument they had every time Lexa dropped by to see Indra. Indra opened the door to her office and motioned for Lexa to enter. “I assume that’s why you’re here? Commander business?”

Lexa nodded in the affirmative. “I need information on a man named Quint Black,” she informed. “I think he may be our slippery bank robber. He is associated with a terrorist group known as the Pauna.”

Indra’s eyes went wide, “Quint Black! Lexa, you shouldn’t be involving yourself with issues like this. Let the police do their work!”

“The police have had no better luck than I have. At least I have confronted him.”

Indra let out a heavy sigh and fixed Lexa with a hard stare. They stood there for a moment staring each other down before Indra caved. She made a disgusted noise as she sat down and typed a few things into her computer. She knew there was no point in arguing with the CEO, but that never stopped her from trying. “Quint Black. We apprehended him almost a month ago for assault. We were unable to build a case against him, so we had to let him go.”

“Unable to build a case?! Have you seen his offenses?!” Lexa said incredulously.

“He has a very good lawyer,” Indra replied.

Lexa huffed out an exasperated sigh, “Another reason that my methods are sometimes more effective than yours.” Indra rolled her eyes. “Any addresses, contacts, telephone numbers?”

“He was apprehended on the west side of TonD.C.” she pulled out a note pad and scribbled a few things on it. “Here is the address he listed and a phone number. Who knows if it is any good.”

“Thank you,” Lexa said as she took the piece of paper and stuffed it in her suit-coat pocket. “One more thing, the men that you took into custody last night….the anonymous call…” Indra looked at her with a suspicious glare, “what became of them?”

“I thought you might have something to do with that,” Indra growled. Indra took a moment to gather her thoughts, and Lexa just knew what was coming. “Lexa, your parents would not want this for you.”

“My parents are dead, Indra.” She paused for a moment and Indra saw a rare glimpse of vulnerability in the CEO turned vigilante’s usually hardened facade. “And so is Costia. All thanks to men like Quint Black who should have been in jail, but for some reason fail to be detained.”

“That doesn’t mean that it is your responsibility…”

“It has to be someone’s responsibility!” Lexa yelled as she slammed her fist on the desk. A few tense moments passed between the two. Lexa knew that Indra was only trying to protect her, but the woman always put up a fight when she came to her for help.

Indra looked away from the fuming CEO. She was the Woods’ oldest family friend and had watched Lexa grow into the woman she was now. When she had discovered Lexa’s secret she had ranted and raved and threatened before finally accepting that this is what Lexa wanted. She knew that the Commander was Lexa’s way of dealing with the loss she had faced in life. It made her feel like she had some sort of control. Indra was afraid that it would cost the young woman her life. She let out a heavy sigh, “What happened to Costia was not your fault. Getting yourself killed is not the answer. You can’t single-handedly change Polis.”

“I failed her, Indra. I have to try,” she breathed out, barely a whisper. Lexa couldn’t handle the emotion that had welled up inside her. She whirled around and almost ran from the office, struggling to hold back tears.

……………..

Raven’s mouth dropped open as she drove up to the massive gates leading to the Woods’ family estate. She had started to think she was lost when she finally saw the pillars holding the gates come into sight. She quickly typed in the code that Lexa had given her and watched the giant gates swing open smoothly. Her eyes took in her surroundings as she drove up the cobblestone drive way. There were trees lining the drive all the way up to what could only be described as a mansion. Even that seemed a small word for such an elaborate estate. There was a round-about in front of the house with a large, three-tier, stone fountain in the center. The water cascaded down the levels gracefully into a pool of blue water. A flower garden surrounded the base of the fountain matching the flower gardens that decorated the front of the manor. Raven noticed that the gardens and lawn were meticulously groomed. She had been instructed to enter through the garage, so she followed the drive around to a side of the manor were she was greeted with a row of garage doors. She parked her car and walked up to a door off to the side where she punched in another code that Lexa had provided. The door made a clicking sound that Raven took to mean that it was unlocked. Lights flicked on automatically, and her eyes grew wide as she stepped into the massive garage.

Raven had known that Lexa was embarrassingly wealthy, but she hadn’t realized just how wealthy that was. The value of the cars in this garage could easily buy her several houses in the wealthy part of Polis. Lexa’s beloved Ferrari was present as well as her impressive Vyrus 987. A blacked out Jeep Rubicon sat on the far end of the garage next to a silver and chrome Astin Martin One-77. On the other end of the garage was parked a pristine 1956 cherry red Ford Thunderbird with white wall tires. Raven let out an impressed whistle as she ran her finger along the smooth exterior of the car. She continued her trek to the back of the garage as Lexa had instructed and saw another key pad located on the far wall.

She punched in yet another code and jumped as the floor beneath her feet lurched and began moving. Raven felt like she was going to topple over as the square of floor descended beneath the garage. More automatic lights flickered on as she descended lower and lower. She gasped again as Lexa’s secret lair came into view. It looked like something straight out of a superhero movie. One wall was made completely of TV monitors connected to what Raven assumed could only be a supercomputer. Another wall was lined with glass display cases that contained a variety of swords, throwing knives, a bow and arrow accompanied by arrows with different colored tips, grenades of varying sizes, and a grappling gun. The next case housed the Commander’s costume. Raven made a mental note of upgrades that she would discuss with Lexa as far as her outfit was concerned. I mean who really took the time to apply that much make-up? Raven was so engrossed in her exploration of Lexa’s lair that she hadn’t heard the footsteps approach behind her. Before she knew what was happening she was in a choke-hold gasping for air.

“Who are you, and how did you get down here?” a feminine voice demanded in her ear.

“I….I,” Raven tried to gasp out, but her captor’s grip was too tight. She tapped on the arm around her throat to signal that she couldn’t speak. She saw another figure descending the stairs that she had not previously noticed and let out a strangled cry in its direction. The figure on the stairs noticed the commotion and came bounding over.

“Anya! Let her go!” Lexa cried out as she ran over to the pair, “she’s turning purple for crying out loud!” Anya dropped her hold on Raven who stumbled forward, wheezing. Lexa caught her with steadying arms and looked into her panicked eyes as she struggled to even out her ragged breathing. “Raven, I am so sorry! I forgot to tell Anya that you were coming! Are you okay?” Raven nodded her head to signify that she was still alive as she rubbed her throat. “Anya, what the hell?” Lexa turned an irritated glare in her direction.

“Hey you’re the one who neglected to tell me that you had a friend coming over,” Anya defended as she put her hands up. “Who is this anyway?”

“This is Raven,” Lexa said as she rubbed a hand over Raven’s back soothingly, “our newest team member.”

Raven was leaned over with her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath. She reached her hand up for the tall woman before her to shake as she wheezed out, “Nice to meet you. That’s quite a grip you have there.” Anya smirked as she took the offered hand with a firm handshake, “Can never be too careful. As you can guess, we don’t usually get guests down here. I’m sure you can imagine my surprise. I’ve heard a lot about you, though. I can’t wait to work together.”

Raven, finally breathing somewhat normally, took her first good look at her attacker and felt the breath leave her body again. She was absolutely stunning. Raven could have sworn she had stepped right out of a Victoria’s Secret catalogue. She was tall and made up of hard planes and subtle curves. Her face was angular and sharp, and Raven saw mischief dancing in her dark brown eyes. “Only if you promise not to strangle the life out of me from now on. You’ll have to show me that little maneuver.”

“Gladly,” Anya purred and looked at Raven in a way that made her blush. Lexa rolled her eyes and smirked as Raven fumbled clumsily with the bag hung around her shoulder.

“Raven here is that brilliant computer analyst I told you all about,” Lexa complimented with a charming smile, “and I’m pretty sure she’s a semi-professional hacker.”

Raven scoffed, her usual confidence returning, as she set her bag down on a table and pulled out the wrecked laptop Lexa had given her. “Ha! Try professional and arguably best hacker in the greater Polis area.”

Lexa laughed, “Well that’s great, because Anya here is shit!” Anya lunged at Lexa who skillfully dodged her and pranced around to the other side of the table out of reach. “You’re getting slow in your old age,” she teased.

“Come over here and say that to my face!” Anya retorted.

“Now children,” Raven admonished, “I believe you’ve invited me here….”

“You demanded to be here,” Lexa interjected.

Raven gave her a pointed look as she continued, “I believe you’ve allowed me to be here because you want information on a certain amateur terrorist that has been plaguing Polis for the last month. I worked very hard to recover this information, so I’m going to need you to listen up.” Lexa and Anya settled down to give Raven their full attention. She pulled out a jump drive and held it up for them to see, “Mind if I plug this in?”

Lexa walked over to her wall of monitors and typed a password into the system. All of the monitors came to life. Raven plugged her jump drive into the computer and a map of Polis littered with several red dots filled the middle screen. “What’s all this?” she asked as she looked over the placement of the dots.

“This is a compilation of all of Black’s territories. I took the ones that we already knew about and combined them with what I could retrieve from the laptop,” Raven explained. “It seems like he is running some sort of smuggling ring or possibly drugs, maybe even some type of black market. Nothing I could find said anything specific, but these all seem to be drop off or pick up points. The other bad news is that nothing alluded to where Black might hang his hat, but something tells me that if we hit enough of these points, we’ll find him.”

Lexa surveyed the map that was before her with a contemplative look on her face. She rubbed her chin thoughtfully, “I like the way you think, Reyes.” A broad grin broke out on her face, “Anya, feel like a little hunting?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
>  Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (like I have 0 followers that is how much I don't use it) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Hope you all had a fantastic weekend. Here is an update to help kick those Monday blues :) As always, I love hearing what you guys think and thank you for reading my little fanfic!

Chapter 16

Quint Black leaned back in his office chair, feet propped up on the desk he sat behind. He rewound the video he was watching for the third time and played it again. A sweating Coors Light sat on the desk beside his laptop. It was his fifth one of the evening. His insides buzzed warmly with the after effects of the alcohol. He rubbed his bald head in frustration as he contemplated what his best course of action would be. He jolted upright as his office door swung open allowing one if his haggard minions to barrel in.

“Boss! It’s happened again! She’s hit the warehouse on the south side of town!” the man exclaimed. Quint felt his fury run the entire length of his body as he stood and slammed his fist on the desk. “That’s the second spot she’s busted this week!”

“Don’t you think I am aware of that!” he retaliated angrily as he rounded the desk to face the man. His eyes were filled with hatred, and the alcohol coursing through his veins made it hard to control his actions. The man backed up as his boss came face-to-face with him. “This wouldn’t be happening if you rejects hadn’t let her escape with that laptop! How many men did she put down?”

“At least six,” the man stammered as he flinched away.

Quint roared with fury as he flung some papers that littered his desk around the room. “Did she get the goods?”

“No, we were able to radio out to the drop truck before they reached us.”

Quint visibly relaxed at this confirmation. “Well, that’s something at least,” he growled.

“Boss, we can’t let her keep getting the best of us like this. The boys haven’t made a drop in weeks. We have buyers breathing down our necks. And with no income from the robberies, well….We have to do something,” the man was pleading with Black to come up with a plan. He paced back and forth trying to think of how they might best the Commander. He had no idea who this vigilante really was and no leads to help him figure it out. She always showed up out of nowhere and disappeared just as fast. His icy blue eyes darted about the room as if the grimy walls of his office would give him all the answers to his problems.

_“It was terrifying,”_ came a voice from the computer, _“I’m just glad that mostly everyone was able to get out okay.”_ He hadn’t stopped the video he was watching when his man had come bursting in. A light bulb went off in his brain when he heard the voice come through the speakers of the laptop.

“I might have an idea,” he said as he rushed back around the desk and plopped into his chair. He ran the video back a few seconds and pushed play.

_“It was terrifying,”_ the voice began again and he slammed a meaty finger down on the mouse to press pause. He gazed into the blue eyes of a blonde that he recognized. A blonde that had somehow been saved from him by the very vigilante in question…..twice. He twirled the laptop around for the other man to see.

“This is our ticket to drawing out the vigilante,” he said with a sinister smile. His man looked at him curiously, but he was too busy plotting his move to notice.

………..

Raven was scrambling to put the finishing touches on her outfit. She had hoped to be dressed and gone by the time her best friend arrived home, but a computer crash in the technologies department had delayed her at work. She hadn’t wanted to explain to Clarke where she was going or why. Lexa had asked her to tag along for a reconnaissance mission at a local dive bar called Grounder’s. The vigilante had been insatiable in her quest for Black over the past week. Raven wasn’t even sure she had taken time to sleep, and she had been neglecting her responsibilities at Trikru stating that Gustus would handle anything that needed her attention. She had expressed her concern for Lexa to Anya, but the other vigilante had simply waved her off saying that Lexa _“gets like this from time to time”_ and _“it’s best to just let her exhaust her energy.”_ To be honest, Raven was getting anxious, too. She could tell they were getting closer and closer to Black. Each time they busted up one of his locations the men seemed more frantic and desperate.

She grabbed her wallet to make sure she had cash and her I.D. before tossing it in her bag. She rushed for the door grabbing a black leather jacket from the back of a kitchen chair. She wasn’t sure if it was hers or Clarke’s but she was sure the blonde wouldn’t mind lending it to her. Upon opening the door, she almost collided into her blonde roommate who was currently fishing around in her bag for keys.

“Oh hey Ray,” Clarke greeted. “Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

_Crap, what unfortunate timing_ , Raven thought to herself. “Just out to have a drink. I was feeling a little cooped up,” she said as she tried to rush past Clarke.

“I could really use a drink,” Clarke sighed, “Let me grab a different jacket and I’ll come with you.”

_No no no no,_ Raven screamed in her head. “Are you sure you aren’t too tired?”

“Today was actually pretty uneventful. Besides, we haven’t had a chance to hang out in ages,” Clarke replied as she rushed into her room to grab a few things.

“I was going to a seedy little dive bar called Grounder’s. You’ll probably hate it,” Raven tried.

“I could use a little seediness in my life,” Clarke said with a giggle. “I can’t remember the last time I had an adventure.” Raven worried her lip and tried to think of something else that might deter her friend. When Raven didn’t have a witty response, Clarke peeked her head out of her room to look at the dark-haired girl. “Do you not want me to go, Ray?”

Clarke’s voice sounded saddened by the possibility that her best friend didn’t want to hang out with her. Raven caught the dejected look on the blonde’s face, and her resolve crumbled. Lexa was just going to have to deal with Clarke tagging along. She was sure there wouldn’t be much that she had to do that might give the vigilante’s identity away. “Of course I want you to go,” Raven said with a reassuring smile. “Now put on something sexy and let’s get out of here.”

………

Lexa dialed Raven’s number for what seemed like the millionth time. She was supposed to have been at the bar 30 minutes ago. Nothing eventful had happened yet, but Lexa hadn’t really expected anything of significance. She wasn’t even sure if Black had any stake in the bar. One of her street contacts had just tipped her in the direction of Grounder’s. He said he had known of Black’s associates selling drugs there, but was unsure if the bar had any tie to the criminal. She had asked Raven to come along so she could hack into the bar’s computer system and see if the owner had made contact with Black via email or something. The phone rang for the fourth time before going to voicemail. Lexa slammed her finger down on the end icon and shoved the phone in her pocket.

“You really shouldn’t scowl like that,” a cute red head said as she rubbed a hand seductively across Lexa’s back. “It’ll give you wrinkles. You’re far too pretty to get wrinkles.”

Lexa smiled as she met the girl’s slightly inebriated gaze, “You’re far too pretty to use cheesy pick-up lines.” The girl let out a high-pitched giggle that made Lexa flinch.

“Tell me how the most gorgeous girl in the bar isn’t dancing with someone,” the red-head said with a flirtatious smile.

“I’m afraid I may have been stood up,” Lexa replied with a faux pout.

The girl ran a finger across Lexa’s collar bone and leaned into her, “Well in that case, care to dance?”

Lexa gave one of her heart-stopping smiles and said with a wink, “Lead the way.”

……….

Raven and Clarke entered Grounder’s 45 minutes later than she had told Lexa. She figured the CEO didn’t have a strict policy regarding punctuality since she never seemed to arrive anywhere on time herself. _Come to think of it, that might be because she’s out saving the city on a nightly basis,_ Raven thought to herself. The bar was dimly lit with wooden high tables and chairs spread carelessly throughout. The tables were covered in graffiti where people had written their names, drawn lewd pictures, or scribbled dates that were probably no longer important. There was a small dance floor in the center of the bar. It was crowded with sweaty bodies touching and rubbing all over each other in various stages of drunkenness. The actual bar was on the far wall manned by a tough looking woman in a red halter top and Daisy Duke Shorts. She had tattoos running up and down her muscular arms and a look on her face that dared anyone to challenge her.

“Wow, you weren’t kidding when you said dive bar,” Clarke yelled over the classic rock tune that blared throughout the room. She had to side step quickly to avoid being run over by a fellow who had drank one too many.

Raven chuckled, “Too good to hang out with the peasants, Princess?”

“Shut up,” Clarke said with a shove to her shoulder. They moved further into the bar avoiding clumsy bodies as they went. Raven tried to scan the place for a familiar brunette, but so far she had been unsuccessful. “Oh my god,” Clarke said with what Raven could only assume was disgust.

“What is it? Did someone grab your butt?” Raven asked as she searched for the offender.

“Ha! I wish! Look who’s here,” Clarke said as she pointed a slim finger. Raven followed her direction and found the brunette for whom she had been searching. She looked very different in street clothes. She was dressed in a black V-neck long sleeve shirt that hugged her in all the right places and black, skin-tight skinny jeans. Her hair was pulled back in several braids. She had two girls pressed up against her vying for her attention. She looked every bit like a person that your parents prayed you would never bring home.

“Damn,” Raven uttered as she eyed the CEO.

“Ugh, does she have to look good in everything she wears?” Clarke complained. Raven gave her a raised eyebrow look. “What? Just because I think she has some undesirable traits, doesn’t mean I’m blind.”

Raven busted out laughing at the comment. She noticed that the bathroom was located just beyond where Lexa was dancing and saw an opportunity to approach her without the blonde. “Hey, I’m going to run to the bathroom,” she told Clarke and pointed in the opposite direction, “why don’t you go see if you can find some place for us to sit.” Clarke nodded her agreement. “Try not to get picked up while I’m gone,” Raven added with a wink to which Clarke rolled her eyes and headed off to find a table. Raven pushed her way through the grimy bar toward the dance floor. She had to stop several times to push sweaty bodies out of her path. Lexa never noticed her approach, seemingly wrapped up in the girls grinding all over her. Once she reached the CEO, Raven took each girl by their shoulder and pushed them out of her way. They both let out shouts of protest as Raven locked eyes with the shocked brunette. “I can’t leave you alone for five seconds,” Raven said playfully as she wrapped her arms around Lexa’s neck. She planted a kiss on the brunette’s cheek as she turned back to her dance partners. “Thanks for keeping my date company, ladies, but I’ll take it from here.”

“I thought you said you got stood up,” said the red-head with a pout.

“Yeah,” said the other girl who had been dancing with them, “she didn’t say she wanted us to leave.” She motioned to Lexa.

Raven looked at Lexa with a quirked eyebrow and put a hand on her hip. Lexa smirked as she slipped her arm around Raven’s waist. “Sorry, girls, looks like my plans haven’t been canceled after all.” Both girls pouted as they sauntered away to find someone else to grind on.

Lexa and Raven separated after the girls were out of sight. “Took you long enough,” Lexa grumbled.

“Looks like you were plenty occupied,” Raven retorted.

“Might as well have a little fun while I wait,” Lexa answered.

“Mmmhmm, see anything interesting yet?” Raven asked as she glanced around the room.

“No. And I don’t think we are going to. My source wasn’t very reliable, but I figured any lead is worth checking out. I do think we should try to get into the bars computer and security system. See if the owner has contacted Black in any way.”

“Okay, but there may be a tiny problem,” Raven admitted with a sheepish grin. Lexa looked at her pointedly, telling her to continue without ever saying a word. “I may have had to bring Clarke along.”

“What?!”

“Relax! She thinks we are here to just have a beer and hang out for a while. I didn’t tell her you were going to be here…..she already saw you though.” Raven had a guilty smile plastered on her face.

Lexa sighed in frustration and rolled her eyes dramatically. She pinched the bridge of her nose as she pondered what the plan was going to be now that there was this unforeseen hick-up. “Okay, okay here is what we are going to do. I think the manager’s office is through that swinging door over there. You figure out a way to get inside, hack the computer, and get any information that might be useful. I will go distract Clarke.”

“Oh so I have to go risk my life while you get to chat up Clarke? That seems really fair.”

“You’re the one who brought her along,” Lexa chuckled. She handed Raven a device with a big red button in the middle. “Anya had these made for when we go on missions, but we have to separate. Just push that button, and I will get a notification that you are in trouble. I’ll come find you.”

“Why don’t I just send a text?”

“You’d be surprised by how hard that is when you are being apprehended. Any other questions, concerns, last requests?”

“No,” Raven grumbled.

“Good luck then,” Lexa said with a pat to Raven’s back. Raven headed off in the direction of the manager’s office. Lexa took in a deep breath, smoothed her clothes out, and went in search of a certain blonde doctor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (like I have 0 followers that is how much I don't use it) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY MONDAY! I've got a little Clexa interaction for you guys! Only a little though ;) I know you guys wanna see more of them (I mean that's why we're all here right?) (and I am getting there), but I want the story to be well rounded and told well so there was (is) just a lot to set up. Thanks for hanging in there with me! Also, I wanted to give you guys a heads up, I won't be able to update until Tuesday next week because I am going to be on vacation. Happy Reading! I always enjoy hearing what you guys think. Thanks for all of the comments and kudos!

Chapter 17

Clarke pushed her way through the sweaty bodies and sticky bar furniture. For such a small dive bar, this place was pretty packed. She had expected for the place to be crawling with bikers or shady types, which it definitely was, but there were also people from all walks of life. She saw some business men huddled together in a corner, some girls in their mid-twenties that seemed to be having a bachelorette party, and some privileged college kids getting rowdy over a game of pool. She finally spotted an empty table among the swarm of people, and quickly made her way over to it. She let out a sigh of relief as she sat down, enjoying the respite of being crowded on all sides. 

She took a moment to take in the scene before her. She watched as hopeful men and women approached each other with the goal of getting a dance and possibly more. A few testosterone fueled college kids shoved each other while getting into each others faces. Clarke thought they might fight, but their friends stepped in to pull them apart. Thoughts of when she was young and carefree came flooding back to memory. It wasn’t that long ago that Clarke Griffin could be seen on any given night dancing her cares away with some stranger. That was before she had any real cares. Things had been so different since her dad died. She had thrown herself into her studies and then into her work. She felt immensely tired, and not the kind of tired that a good night’s rest could fix. She felt the kind of tired that could only be fixed with peace. Peace was not something she knew how to find. 

“Someone told me earlier tonight that frowning causes wrinkles,” came a sultry voice from behind, “Pretty girls should never frown.” The owner of the voice sidled up beside her and took the seat to her right. “You look like you could use a drink,” the stranger said as they sat two bottles down on the table. Clarke glanced to her right, fully expecting to have to thwart some creep’s advances, and immediately had to swallow the lump in her throat as she met forest green eyes. 

“Who told you that? The girls that were grinding on you earlier?” Clarke quipped. She took in the attractive CEO in her black V-neck and sinfully tight skinny jeans, and felt her heart rate pick up slightly. “Where did your friends go?”

“Touché,” Lexa said as a warm smile broke out over her face. A chuckle rumbled out from somewhere deep in her chest, and Clarke thought it might be the most attractive sound she ever heard. She couldn’t help but want to hear it again. Lexa’s warm smile brought a smile of her own to her lips. She looked away as she felt a blush creep into her cheeks. “They weren’t my friends. They just asked for a dance. Besides, I would much rather hang out with a gorgeous, intelligent doctor. What brings the prestigious Dr. Griffin to a seedy little dive bar like Grounder’s, anyway?” 

Clarke felt a blush spread over her cheeks at the blatant compliment. She grabbed the drink Lexa had sat down and took a few deep swallows to try and calm her nerves. A little liquid courage couldn’t hurt. “I could ask you the same question. Surely the infamous Lexa Woods should be in some high-class, VIP section of the swankiest club in town.” 

“Touché, again,” Lexa smiled as she brought her drink up to her lips. “Do you always verbally spar with people that buy you drinks?”

“Only with those that I think might have a chance at keeping up,” Clarke winked and took another sip of her beer. She didn’t know where all of this bravery had come from, but she decided just to roll with it. It couldn’t hurt to keep Lexa Woods on her toes. 

Lexa chuckled again and kept smiling that infuriatingly adorable smile. She seemed different here, more relaxed. Clarke got a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach knowing that she was the one that caused this reaction in the beautiful CEO. “In that case, I am honored that you consider me a worthy adversary,” Lexa said as she set her piercing green eyes on Clarke, “and to answer your question, sometimes I like to be just another face in the crowd. No one here cares about how much money I have or who I am. Here, I’m just another person in a seedy dive bar, hitting on pretty girls, and getting buzzed on cheap drinks.” As she finished her little speech she picked up her beer bottle and clinked it together with Clarke’s before turning it up and finishing it off. She had meant for the statement to be light-hearted, but Clarke couldn’t help but wonder if there was a little bitterness buried in her words. Being in the public eye and having your life scrutinized by the media couldn’t be easy. 

“I came here to hang out with my friend,” Clarke blurted out as a particularly loud song came on. 

“Beg pardon,” Lexa yelled as she leaned down to hear Clarke better. Her scent hit Clarke, and she felt herself lean into the warm aroma. Lexa smelled spicy. Like cinnamon and sandalwood mixed with a little bit of whiskey. It was intoxicating. 

“I, um,” Clarke racked her brain to remember what she was trying to say. Lexa gave her a concerned look. She shook her head as if it would force her thoughts to come out. “Sorry, I just lost my train of thought….um…oh I came here to hang out with my friend. Raven? You know her right? She was supposed to just go to the bathroom, but she has been gone for a while. Maybe I should go look for her.” Clarke craned her neck to look for her missing best friend among the crowd. 

“The Systems Analyst that works for my company?” Lexa asked and Clarke nodded in the affirmative. “I saw her talking to some guy. Looked like they were hitting it off. Maybe she got held up. I’m sure she is fine.”

Clarke looked back at Lexa with a faux exasperated look on her face, but she chuckled when she said, “Yeah that sounds like Raven. I should have guessed she would ditch me for the first person that winked at her.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I came along then, huh?” 

“You’ll do in a pinch I guess,” Clarke winked at Lexa as she finished off her beer. She could have sworn she saw the teeniest, tiny blush light up Lexa’s cheeks but she couldn’t tell for sure. She was rewarded with another bright smile though and that was enough to set her nerves on edge again.

“Looks like we both need another drink,” Lexa stated as she pushed away from the table. “Don’t go anywhere, okay?”

“As long as you bring me a drink, I’m all yours.”

“I like the sound of that,” Lexa said in a slightly huskier tone. Clarke’s heart rate sped up with the insinuation. 

………………

Raven’s fingers furiously flew across the keys, gleaning any useful information she could and uploading it to the jump drive she had inserted into the computer’s tower. Hacking the password had been shamefully easy. She almost wish she could tell the poor shmuck who owned the place that his password capabilities were mortifying at best. Slipping into the office had been easy enough. It seemed like the bar was understaffed, so most of the employees were occupied elsewhere. She had slipped right through the “employee’s only” door and into the tiny, cramped office of whoever was in charge. 

She had one more file to upload and then her part in this mission would be over. Anxiousness crept into her chest as she neared the end of her endeavor. How awful it would be if she were caught now and had to call Lexa in to rescue her. “Come on, come on, come on,” she chanted impatiently as she waited for the file to load, drumming her fingers on the shabby desk. She heard footsteps approaching down the hall and her pulse began to race. A sheen of nervous sweat broke out on her brow. The file finished loading and Raven yanked the drive out of the computer shoving it into the bag at her side. She stepped away from the computer and managed to look like a dazed, inebriated patron just as a sweaty, overweight man in a cheap suit shirt bumbled into the office. 

“Hey,” he bellowed in his out-of-breath tone, “you’re not supposed to be in here! What are you doing?”

“I am so sooorrry,” Raven slurred in her best imitation of a drunk girl. She stumbled over to the man and fell onto him heavily. “I was looking for the bathroom, and I think I’ve gotten lost somehow. Could you help me? I gotta pee real bad.” 

He huffed heavily and rubbed his red face as he righted Raven with his sweaty hands. Raven tried not to gag. “Go out this door, take a right, go out the next door, take a left,” he explained as he pushed Raven toward the door to his office. 

“Thank you soooo much,” she said in her faux-inebriated tone, and then quickly hurried out of the office and back out to the dance floor. She had heard him mumble “Damn drunk girls” as she left so she figured he didn’t suspect anything. Woods was going to have to offer her some kind of pay if she was going to have to endure this kind of stress very often. Then again, Woods would probably just point to the door and send her on her merry way, so she thought better of mentioning it to her. Raven shoved her way through the sweaty, grinding bodies once more, looking for her friend and….other friend? Friend boss?.....Partner in crime?....or Anti-crime? Raven wasn’t exactly sure where she stood with Lexa. She wasn’t the easiest person to read. 

She finally spotted the blonde doctor with her head thrown back in what looked like the most intense laughter she had ever seen. Tears were streaming down the woman’s face, her complexion had gone red with the struggle to breathe, and Raven couldn’t ever remember her laughing that hard. Her eyes roamed a little to the right of her friend and found an equally happy, grinning from ear to ear Lexa, whose eyes were dancing with a light that Raven had never seen before. Raven could practically see the sparks that flew between them. She felt a smile of her own appear on her face and a warmth spread in her chest at the sight of her best friend looking so carefree. 

………

“Hey there stranger,” Clarke greeted as Raven slid into the seat next to her, opposite Lexa. “Lexa told me she saw you chatting up some stranger. I hope he was cuter than me since you ditched me for him!” Clarke’s tone was teasing and the smile never left her face. A tiny look of confusion flashed across Raven’s face at the revelation of her where-about. 

“Yes, how goes the conquest?” Lexa interjected giving Raven a raised-eyebrow look, trying to convey to Raven that it was her cover story and she shouldn’t blow it. 

Raven caught the hint and the flash of confusion disappeared from her face instantly. “He turned out to not be my type. He had sweaty hands and poor dance moves. Besides, you know I only have eyes for you, Griffin.” Clarke giggled, obviously a little tipsy, and Raven could have sworn she saw jealousy pass over Lexa’s features, but it was gone almost instantly. “What were you two giggle monsters talking about anyway? I heard you from across the bar.”

Clarke started giggling again at remembering the conversation her and Lexa had been sharing, and an amused smile made its way onto Lexa’s face. Clarke placed a hand over Lexa’s as she turned to Raven, “Lexa here was telling me a tale tell about a time that she single-handedly wrestled a bear on a hunting trip in the Rocky Mountains all because the bear broke into her camp and stole her breakfast. Isn’t that ridiculous?” She crowed out another bout of laughter. 

Lexa had been struck dumb by the sudden feeling of Clarke’s hand on top of her own, but recovered when the doctor started laughing again. “She doesn’t believe me,” Lexa confessed with a giggle of her own, “but it’s completely true.” 

“There’s no way it’s true!” Clarke shouted. “You’re much too small to take on a bear! It would gobble you up whole.”

“I take offense to that, Dr. Griffin!” Lexa said in a mock-wounded tone. “I happen to be an excellent fighter, and I’m made up of pure muscle. Feel my bicep.” Clarke rolled her eyes and reached out for the arm that Lexa had flexed before her. Her laughter died in her throat as her hands landed on perfectly cut, rock hard muscle. Lexa hadn’t realized that this was a mistake until it was too late. Clarke’s warm hands were on her arm, and the urge to take those hands in her own coursed through her body with the power of 1000 volts. She was doing a terrible job at keeping her distance. Her green eyes met blue, and she could swear she saw desire reflected in Clarke’s gaze. 

“Ehhmmm,” came a clearing of Raven’s throat. It broke them apart, and Lexa’s arm burned where Clarke had touched it. 

“Muscles or not,” Clarke tried to keep her joking tone, but she was much more sober than she had been just a moment ago, “I don’t think you could take on a bear single-handedly.”

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to call bull shit, Woods,” Raven mocked. 

“I guess I’ll just have to prove it to both of you,” Lexa said with a small smile. She suddenly felt the need to run and scream or fight or kiss Clarke Griffin. NO! Not kiss Clarke Griffin. She had to get out of there. She glanced down at her watch. “I really should get going. It was nice getting to spend some time with you away from the office, Clarke.” A small smile broke out on Clarke’s face, and she nodded in agreement. 

“Awww, what’s the matter?” Raven said in her best baby voice, breaking the moment. “Big bad CEO has a bed time?”

“Who said anything about bed? There is no rest for the wicked,” Lexa retorted with a wink. She directed another smile and a small wave at Clarke, then turned, and was gone. Clarke’s heart couldn’t help but sink a little as Lexa walked away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (like I have 0 followers that is how much I don't use it) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had a safe and awesome weekend/labor day. I soaked up some rays on the beach and enjoyed a much needed vacation. Now, how about we get a little dramatic this week?! Heads up, I won't be updating at all next week because I will be on another vacay (we like to wait until all the kiddos go back to school lol). What is coming up after that you will not want to miss. As always, I love hearing from you guys. Thanks for reading my little story.

Chapter 18

Clarke and Raven stumbled into their apartment at about half past one in the morning. They were a mess of poorly controlled limbs and constant giggles. They hadn’t planned on staying out as late as they did, but after Lexa left they had decided to get another round of drinks. Then, they had been approached by tall, dark strangers who wanted to dance and buy them more drinks. After about half an hour of slightly inebriated grinding, the strangers had roped them into a game of pool and bought another round of alcohol, and before they knew it they were pleasantly buzzed and time had gotten away from them. Neither girl had gotten their dance partners name, and really didn’t care to see them again, but it had been nice to be free for a few hours. Raven had eventually stuck her tongue down her partner’s throat, but when Clarke’s tried to make a move she had pushed him away. For some reason, even in her more than slightly inebriated state, all she could see was green eyes and sharp cheek bones and it put a damper on her partner’s chances. Nevertheless, she had allowed herself to relax and have a good time. She had really needed tonight. 

“Oh my god, Clarke!” Raven exclaimed as she stumbled over to the island in the middle of their kitchen. She held on to its edge as she shakily removed the heels from her feet. “I had forgot how much fun you are! Tonight was the best night we’ve had in a long time!” 

Clarke had found her way over to the sofa and unceremoniously thrown herself into its fluffy cushions. She let out a loud groan of satisfaction as all the pressure was taken off of her aching feet. She let her eyes close as she enjoyed the warm, buzzing feeling of her insides. “Hmmmm, I know,” she hummed out happily. “I had forgotten what a terrible dancer you are.” She giggled to herself as Raven plopped down next to her giving her a slap to the shoulder. 

“Hey! I have better dance moves than you could ever dream of having!” Raven pouted. “I never got a single complaint, and I got a make-out session, so obviously he was feeling it.”

“I didn’t want a make-out session,” Clarke said giving Raven the most pointed look she could manage. “And of course he was feeling it. Have you seen you in that dress?” Clarke waggled her eyebrows. 

“Well if you wanted me so bad, Griffin, all you had to do was ask!” Raven jumped on top of her friend while making kissy faces and started tickling her sides. 

Clarke started laughing uncontrollably, and the pair struggled with one another in a heap of gasps and snorts. Clarke did her best to capture Raven’s hands and put a stop to the torture, but the dark-haired girl was too slippery and had the unfair advantage of being on top. “RAVEN!” Clarke gasped out in between laughs, “I give up! I give up! Please I can’t breathe!” 

Raven finally halted in her attack, “Never say I’m a terrible dancer again! And since when does Clarke Griffin not want a make-out sesh? Who even are you?”

Clarke did her best to calm her giggles, “I don’t know. I just wasn’t into it. It didn’t feel right.”

“That wouldn’t have anything to do with the googly eyes that you were making at Lexa Woods would it?” Raven remained sitting on top of Clarke so she couldn’t run from the conversation. 

“WHAT?!” Clarke exclaimed as her cheeks turned bright red. “What are you even talking about? I did NOT make googly eyes at Lexa Woods.” 

Raven rolled her eyes and then started to mock giggle. “Oh, Lexa, there’s no way you wrestled a bear, Lexa. You’re so funny, Lexa. What nice biceps you have, Lexa. Let me just put my hands allll over them,” Raven mocked in her best Clarke impersonation. “I haven’t seen you giggle like that since we were in college.” 

“You’re so full of shit, Raven,” Clarke huffed in annoyance, unable to escape her friends teasing. 

“Am I? Look, I wouldn’t blame you. She is a freakin goddess, and from what I can tell she is quite the charmer when she wants to be.”

“Key words: when she wants to be,” Clarke defended. “We were just having a friendly chat, and she bought me a drink. It was nice to see her in a different atmosphere, but it doesn’t mean I have a….a… thing for her.” 

A knowing smirk crossed Raven’s face, and she brought her hands up in a threatening manner. “Clarke likes Lexa. Clarke likes Lexa,” Raven began to sing-song as she wiggled her fingers. 

“Raven,” Clarke warned putting her hands up defensively. “Raven, no!” Raven had dove into her tickle battle again and assaulted Clarke’s sides while continuing to sing-song “Clarke likes Lexa!” Clarke fell into another round of belly-laughs until tears started to form in her eyes. The two girls struggled with each other, both laughing and fighting for control. 

All of a sudden, the apartment door busted in and big, figures in dark clothes and gorilla masks flooded into the room. The girls nearly jumped out of their skin at the intrusion. They jumped apart and backed up as far as they could as the figures poured into their apartment. 

“Don’t move! Get your hands up and get on the ground!” One of the figures started demanding as several of his friends reached the two girls. They grabbed them harshly and forced their hands behind their heads. Clarke and Raven had gone pale from sheer terror. They were forced onto their knees as the dark figures took up post in their living room. 

The figures lined the living room and stood at military-like attention. The two men that had forced Clarke and Raven onto the ground held guns at their heads so they didn’t move. Clarke could feel her heartbeat in every part of her body. Her eyes flew all around the room, her mind struggling to figure out an escape. Once all of the men had taken their positions, a single figure strutted into the room. He wore a gorilla mask like the rest, but he was taller and broader. His stance was intimidating, and he came to a stop just inches from the girls. Clarke could see his icy blue eyes peering down at them through his mask. She immediately recognized him as the man from the bank heist. 

“Good evening, Dr. Griffin,” he snarled, “sorry to just bust in like this, but I need your help with something.” Clarke had looked away from the man, refusing to meet his gaze. The man holding the gun to her head grabbed her hair and yanked her head up to look at their leader. Clarke let out a stifled sound from the pain, but refused to give them the satisfaction of crying out. The figure before her chuckled. He lowered his face down to meet her at eye level. “You were very brave under the protection of the Commander. I wonder if you’ll be so brave without her. Tie up the blonde. She’s the only one I need.” The men at Clarke’s back grabbed her and forced her arms behind her back before they started wrapping rough rope around her wrists. 

“Don’t fucking touch her!” Raven exclaimed as she jumped forward onto one of Clarke’s captors. They fell to the ground, Raven on top. She landed one good punch before muscled men were grabbing her and once again forced her into submission. The leader had turned around upon hearing the commotion. They jerked Raven up harshly to face him. 

He chuckled, “I see the Commander isn’t your only defender. How about I give you a little preview of what I am going to do to your vigilante girlfriend.”

“What are you talking about?!” Clarke cried. “I don’t know the vigilante! Don’t hurt my friend! She was just trying to protect me!” 

“Somehow, I don’t believe you,” Quint said. He walked up to Raven and kicked her in the ribs with all of the force in his leg. She let out a pained scream as he slammed his large fist into her face. Blood spurted from her mouth and nose. 

“Stop it!” Clarke screamed as tears ran down her face. “Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you! I won’t fight just please stop!” Clarke was sobbing frantically as she watched the man beat Raven to a pulp. 

Raven lost consciousness and the men dropped her harshly to the floor. “She’ll live,” the leader gruffed. “Gag her,” he ordered as he wiped his bloody fist on one of their dish towels. “Tie this one up, too. Can’t have her calling the cops of she ever comes back around.” With that he strolled out of the living room. His men gagged Clarke and made sure she was bound tightly before they hauled her up and drug her from the room. She caught a glimpse of Raven as they forced her out of the apartment. The girl was badly beaten and unconscious, but Clarke could see that she was breathing. 

“Raven,” she choked out, mostly to herself, “Please be okay.” 

……………

 

Slowly Raven’s consciousness returned to her. Her head was pounding fiercely and a sharp pain shot through her ribs every time she took a breath. She could taste blood in her mouth, and her face felt wet and sticky. The memory of what had transpired just a while ago started to become clear in her mind. Her eyes flew open as the realization that her home had been invaded struck her. She tried to move, to get up, to check on Clarke, but her hands and feet were tied and pain shot through her body at the slightest movement. 

“Clarke,” she tried to muffle around the gag in her mouth. No answer. “Clarke,” she tried again, a little more desperation poured into the name. Still no answer. She tried her best to look in the surrounding area for a blonde head, but she saw nothing. They must have taken her, Raven thought to herself. What was she going to do? She had been beaten into a bloody mess, and her best friend had been kidnapped by her attackers. Dread started to sink in as Raven’s heart rate steadily began to rise as reality became more and more clear. Her breath started coming in short, quick spurts as she felt the beginnings of a panic attack. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to focus on her breathing. 

Come on, Raven. You can’t panic right now. You have to think! Clarke needs you. They have her. What can you do? How can you help her? Raven let the thoughts run through her head trying to focus and think. The men had mentioned the vigilante. Lexa! If I can contact Lexa! How am I going to do that while I’m tied up on the floor? Raven wracked her brain for a solution. 

Lexa’s voice filtered into her head as she remembered some of their conversation from earlier. “Anya had these made for when we go on missions, but we have to separate. Just push that button, and I will get a notification that you are in trouble. I’ll come find you.” The device! She hadn’t returned it to Lexa at the end of the night. It was still in her bag. Her bag that was hung on the back of one of the chairs at their island. She could see it from where she lay on the floor. She was going to have to crawl over to it and knock it off. 

Raven started to wiggle her way toward the island. Pain shot through her with every movement. Inch by inch she got closer. It took her what felt like ages to make it the few feet to the island. Her breath was heavy by the time she made it to her destination. All most there, she mentally coached herself. Once she reached the chair, she used her shoulder to bang against it until the bag finally fell free. She had to grit her teeth every time her back made contact. She flipped herself over so that the bag was at her back and she grabbed it with her bound hands. With great effort, she finally managed to dump the contents of the bag out on the ground. She let out a sigh of relief. She searched the items in the floor until she found a smooth rectangle with a button in the center. 

She pressed the button down as hard as she could as she passed out again from exhaustion. 

…………….

Lexa’s tongue was held firmly between her teeth and her brow was creased with concentration as she focused on the bow and arrow that was in front of her. She was trying to rig one of her arrows to a small explosive so that it would explode upon impact when fired. If I could just connect this wire, she thought as she gingerly worked a wire into the trigger device on the arrow. She made the connection and a little red light came on signaling that the device was live. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed in victory as the red light blinked out again. Her face fell as she let out a loud groan. 

Anya had just walked in in time to witness Lexa’s failure. “Don’t you have a cute little brunette that can do that for you now?” she chuckled. 

“I didn’t realize you had a crush,” Lexa looked up and smirked. Anya blushed and quickly busied herself with nothing. “I couldn’t sleep. I needed something to focus on.” 

“Something on your mind?” 

“Always,” Lexa murmured as she started setting up to attempt to arm her arrow grenade again. 

“Wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.” Lexa could feel Anya staring at her. She tried to ignore it and concentrate on her task. She finally let out an irritated huff, “Clarke was at the club tonight. We talked. It was nice.”

“As in Dr. Griffin?” Lexa nodded as confirmation. “And that affected your sleeping?” Anya looked at her knowingly.

“There’s something about her. I don’t know. She throws me off. Makes it hard to concentrate.” 

“Awwww does the Commander have a cruuusssshhh?” Anya teased. Lexa simply rolled her eyes and huffed again. “You liiiiiiike her.” 

Lexa just shrugged nonchalantly, “Doesn’t matter if I do or don’t. It can’t happen.”

“Why not?” 

Lexa looked at Anya as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. “Well, we are going to be working together for one. I’m her boss.”

“So?”

“So, it’s unprofessional. Then there are my nighttime activities. I won’t put another person in danger.”

“Lex, you can’t let what happened with Cos….” Anya stopped mid-sentence when she saw the sharp look Lexa shot her way. She held her hands up in surrender. 

Lexa prepared to return to her task when her phone went off. She dusted her hands off before picking it up. When she saw the large S.O.S. displayed across the screen she immediately jumped into action. “Anya, put on your gear. Something’s wrong.”

“What are you talking about? What happened?” Anya said confused as she watched Lexa start changing into her Commander attire. 

“Raven pushed the red button.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm baaaaaack! Happy Monday and thank you for hanging in there through my brief hiatus. Vacation was awesome and St. Louis is a really cool city. If you've never been and get the opportunity to go, do it! And do a ghost walk while you are there. The city has all kinds of creepy history. As always, I love to hear from you guys!

Chapter 19 

Clarke’s brain was in overdrive as she sat bound and gagged in the back of a utility van. Her kidnappers had thrown a hood over her head, so she couldn’t see where they were taking her. She tried to visualize in her head where the van might be heading. She counted the seconds in between turns and counted how many times the van turned left or right. She wanted to have an idea of where she was in case she saw an opportunity to escape, but it was hopeless. They had gone so far that her tired brain couldn’t keep up with all of the numbers. She strained her ears to see if she could make out any distinct sounds or hear any conversations that might be going on. Nothing. The van finally came to a stop and suddenly rough hands were on her, yanking her from the van and dragging her deep into whatever hell they had brought her to. They finally dropped her into a hard metal chair and proceeded to make sure she was securely tied down. Finally, the hood was ripped off of her head allowing the harsh florescent light to assault her eyes. She winced and blinked in an attempt to clear her vision. A gorilla mask with icy blue orbs peering through its eyeholes filled her view. 

“I’m sorry for the rough treatment,” he said, “but I think we both know that you wouldn’t have come easily.” She flinched away from him as he reached out to remove the gag from her mouth. “Just so you know, you can scream as loud as you’d like now. No one will hear you.”

Clarke peered at him angrily, “What do you want from me? I don’t have anything. I’m not important.” 

He mirthlessly laughed as he removed his gorilla mask. “Oh Dr. Griffin, how wrong you are about that.” Clarke gasped as his face was revealed. She had only seen it one other time, but she would never forget it. Her eyes traced the tattoo that ran along the side of his bald head, the man from the alley. The Commander had saved her from him. Quint saw the recognition in Clarke’s eyes. “Remember me?” he snarled with a sinister grin as he lowered his face down in front of Clarke’s. Her breath started to come rapidly as dread filled her chest. She leaned away from him to avoid feeling his breath on her. Her chair started to tip backwards, but he reached out to steady it before she could tip it over. “Careful, wouldn’t want you to get hurt before the Commander gets here.” 

Clarke’s eyes snapped back to him with confusion. “Is that what this is about? You think the Commander will come for me?”

“Well she has stopped me from killing you…twice.”

“That was a coincidence! I don’t even know the Commander!” Clarke confessed, trying to convey her honesty with every part of her. 

Quint looked at her curiously, trying to decide if he believed her. Finally he scoffed, “Do you truly expect me to believe that? How dumb do you think I am?” 

“I don’t think you want me to answer that question?” she spat before she could stop herself. Anger was beginning to mix in with her terror. Fury filled Quint’s gaze at her disrespect and he brought his huge hand across her face in a forceful slap. Her yelp filled the spacious room. The whole side of her face lit up with pain. She knew there would be a bruise. Tears filled her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. “Your plan isn’t going to work,” she said defiantly. “I don’t know the Commander. She isn’t coming for me.”

Quint still stood ridged and furious. There was a beat before he answered her. He took several deep breathes before once again lowering himself to her eye level. He made sure to hold her gaze as he calmly said, “If she doesn’t come, I’ll just have my way with you and then dump your body in the river. Either way, I still win.”

……………. 

Lexa was out of the car and half way up Clarke and Raven’s fire escape by the time Anya had put the vehicle in park. They had dressed in their vigilante gear and rushed to the girls’ apartment as fast as they could. Lexa had tried to call Raven several times, but she had never picked up. Anya could tell that Lexa was growing more and more anxious as the seconds ticked by and they heard nothing from the snarky systems analyst. By the time they reached the apartment, Lexa had basically bit every finger nail she had into the quick and Anya could feel the nervousness rolling off of her in waves. Anya breathed out an exasperated huff and hurried after her young partner. She felt a strange pang in her heart when she thought that something might have happened to their sassy new team mate, but she couldn’t think about that right now. She had to keep a level head, because, with the way Lexa was acting, she could tell the younger girl was not using her head as much as she normally would. Anya suspected it was because the blonde doctor was involved. She made a mental note to probe Lexa for more information later, but for now they needed to make sure the girls were okay. 

Anya quickly scaled the fire escape and caught up to Lexa who was busy picking the lock to the girls’ apartment. “What are you doing?” she asked as she hoisted herself up next to the Commander. 

“I knocked several times. There was no movement,” Lexa said distractedly. She knew they had to be here, because not only did the device she had given Raven alert the Commander whenever the button was pushed, but it also gave out a GPS signal to let her know exactly where the device was, and it was here. 

“So just bust in. Why are you picking the lock?” Lexa paused. To be honest, she hadn’t thought of busting in. Why? She didn’t know. What if nothing was the matter, and she just busted into their apartment for no reason? Then they would have a busted lock and would be vulnerable for sure. Lexa didn’t want to leave Clarke vulnerable. 

“You’re right,” Lexa said as she abandoned her lock picking tools and slammed her shoulder roughly into the door. It moved minimally. Anya smirked at her as Lexa gave her a look that said “Don’t you dare say anything.” She slammed herself into the door again, this time with all of the strength she could muster. It opened. They made their way into the apartment. Lexa knew that she was in Raven’s room, but it was pitch black. “Raven,” she whispered. Nothing. She moved to where she remembered the door being, Anya close behind her. She put her ear up to the door to see if she could hear any movement on the other side. Nothing. She looked at Anya and placed one hand on her sword the other on the door handle. Anya nodded to her to signify that she was ready as she took hold of her own sword. 

Lexa opened the door slowly and silently. She stepped into a narrow hallway. When she looked to her right, she could make out the kitchen and the living area. There was a light on in that direction, but Lexa couldn’t see anything out of place. To her left were more rooms. Lexa guessed that they were the bathroom and Clarke’s room. Lexa motioned for Anya to join her in the hall. She silently pointed to Anya and then to the living area, signaling her to check it out. She then pointed to herself and the other rooms. Anya nodded her understanding, and both girls headed off in separate directions. 

Anya moved like a ghost down the narrow hallway. Her feet never made a sound. She slinked skillfully toward the living area staying alert, weapon at the ready. When she made it to the end of the hall, she carefully peeked her head around the corner to get a better view of the room. It was bathed in a soft warm glow that came from a light fixture hanging over a dining room table. The living area and kitchen/dining area where all one big room. A fluffy couch sat in the middle of the floor with a matching arm chair off to the side. A coffee table littered in doodles sat in front of the couch and a T.V. perched on the wall. Beyond the couch was a small island and the kitchen. Anya didn’t see anything out of place at first. She relaxed minimally and walked further into the room. That’s when she started to notice the little signs that something had happened. Some of the doodles that littered the table had also been knocked to the floor. Large, muddy foot prints were littered here and there. She approached the door to the apartment, inspecting the locks. She noticed that it had been forced open. She ran her fingers down the cracked wood when something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. 

She slowly turned and gasped in shock as she realized who was laying in the floor. She quickly rushed over to the bloodied systems analyst as she called out for Lexa. She dropped to her knees beside the girl as she tried to figure out how she could help. She wasn’t great at this sort of thing, but seeing the dark-haired beauty in this state was making her heart beat faster and her breath come quicker. She quickly checked for a pulse to make sure the girl was still alive. Her heartbeat was strong. Anya smiled to herself, “I knew you were a fighter.” She jumped up to grab a wash cloth and ran it under some warm water before kneeling beside Raven once more. She carefully slid her arm under Raven’s head and pulled the girl into her lap. She carefully began to wipe the blood from her nose and mouth. “Raven,” she whispered, “Raven, please open your eyes for me.” 

Lexa came skidding around the couch, “There’s nothing in the bathroom or Clarke’s room. I thought I heard you yell for……” Her eyes widened as she saw Raven laid in Anya’s lap, the taller woman gently wiping blood from her face. Lexa quickly joined her on the floor. “Oh no, no, no, Raven,” Lexa chanted worriedly. The wash cloth and the voices must have registered in Raven’s mind, because she groaned and scrunched her face up in pain. 

“Raven,” Anya said softly. It surprised Lexa, she wasn’t sure she had ever seen the woman be so tender. “Can you hear me?” Anya coaxed. “I really need you to wake up.” Another groan followed by a whimper. Lexa watched a small smile appear on Anya’s face momentarily, she smirked when Anya met her gaze. “What?” Anya barked in her direction. 

“Bout time you two showed up,” the voice was groggy and labored, but it had the usual snarky tone. 

Anya’s eyes snapped back to Raven and a wry smile broke out on her face. “Welcome back to the world of the living,” she teased. 

Raven smiled slightly, “Ow, don’t make me smile. Everything hurts.” 

“It usually does after you take a beating,” Lexa commented dryly. Anya slapped her on the shoulder, “Ouch!” 

“Lexa,” she warned. 

“You should see the other guy,” Raven retorted. 

The seriousness returned to Lexa’s face as Raven mentioned “the other guy.” She immediately fell back into Commander Mode, “Raven, what happened? Where is Clarke?” 

Raven’s face paled as reality started to sink in. Until now, her brain had been foggy. She didn’t exactly remember why she had needed to alert Lexa. Plus, she had woken up to strong arms, the scent of vanilla, and a warm cloth making her aches and pains hurt a little less. Now, things were starting to become clear, “They stormed in here after we got home from the bar! There had to be at least 10 of them. They were all wearing gorilla masks. Lexa, I think it was Quint Black! They took Clarke!” Raven had gotten more and more panicked as she explained what had happened. She tried to sit up, but grabbed her side and winced. 

“Hey, hey you’re okay. Just relax,” Anya tried to soothe her. She pulled Raven tighter against her to stop the girl from struggling. 

Raven gave in easily. She wasn’t strong enough to put up any sort of fight, “We have to find Clarke,” she whimpered. 

Lexa laid a hand on Raven’s arm, who looked up at her pitifully. “I WILL find Clarke,” she promised, staring deeply into Raven’s eyes. “I will bring her home. Let Anya help you.” In one quick movement she was standing and walking toward the door. 

“Lexa,” Anya called out. “You can’t….”

“I have to,” Lexa snapped as she turned around. She regretted it immediately. She knew that Anya was worried for her. She met her partner’s eyes and added softly, “Raven needs you. Clarke needs me. I can’t let anything happen to her. I just can’t.” 

Anya swallowed thickly and nodded her understanding, “Be careful, Heda.” 

Lexa softened a little more at the use of her nickname, “Always.” 

“Wait!” Raven called out to the retreating Commander. Lexa turned to look at her. “My bag. I have something for you.” Lexa walked over to the bag that had fallen to the floor. “Middle zipper pocket.” Lexa opened the bag and unzipped the pocket. She reached in and pulled out a black mask that was shaped like her signature eye makeup. It would cover most of her face, and it came to three sharp points on each cheek. “I have been meaning to talk to you about improvements we can make to your suit. I had the fabrication guys at work make this mask. This will disguise your identity much better than that war paint and it’s more practical. Clarke might not be the most observant, but the more she is around you as Lexa, the more likely it is for her to recognize you as the Commander. This mask will cover most of your face."

Lexa turned the mask over in her hands and ran her fingers over the smooth surface, admiring the handiwork. “It’s amazing,” she breathed. “Thank you.” She placed it on over her war paint. It was a perfect fit. She smiled up at Raven. 

“Perfect,” Raven said with a smile. “Now go save my best friend.” Lexa nodded and was gone. 

………………

Lexa tried to keep a level head as she steered her car through the narrow side streets heading toward her destination. There were only two locations left that she had not checked for Quint Black, and she knew Clarke had to be at one of them. She decided to head to the large abandoned warehouse that was close to the river. If Quint wanted to dispose of a body quickly, he would probably pick that location. Bile rose in Lexa’s throat as she thought of Quint tossing Clarke’s lifeless body into the river. She couldn’t bear the thought of someone else dying because of her. Especially not someone as special as Clarke. 

She decided to park the car in some brush a mile away from the warehouse. She didn’t want to chance any guards spotting the vehicle and alerting Black of her presence. If she was going to save Clarke, she was going to have to be stealthy. She knew she was going to be outnumbered. Her black costume allowed her to blend into her surroundings easily. She moved through the terrain like a phantom and quickly found herself at the edge of the warehouse property. She took a moment to scout out the location. The outside of the warehouse was well lit to keep someone from sneaking up undetected. She could see about five guards patrolling the outside of the building from her position and a shooter perched on the roof. She definitely wasn’t going to be able to walk in the front door. She made her way around the perimeter of the building looking for an area that was less guarded and vulnerable. 

As she expected, she found a darker corner of the building that was guarded by only one guard. There were no visible points of access which is probably why they hadn’t bothered to post more than one guy, but this would allow her to get up onto the roof, take out any shooters, and hopefully find a vent that would allow her access to the inside of the building. She put her fingers up to her mouth and let out a low whistle. The guard’s head snapped up and he curiously tried to peer into the dark woods that surrounded the warehouse. Lexa lowered herself close to the ground as he drew near to her position. She sunk into tall grass as he passed by, gun held ready to shoot anything that moved. Once he passed her, she silently rose from her position and grabbed him from behind. She grabbed his head and gave a swift but strong twist. His neck snapped, and he fell to the ground lifeless. 

She quickly made her way to the building and scaled up its side with the help of her grappling hook. She carefully peeked over the building’s edge before climbing up completely. She was able to climb up and hide behind an air conditioning unit to further assess the situation. She could now see three guards with guns walking back and forth on the roof, eyes trained on the area surrounding the warehouse. She had brought her bow and arrow along with her, and she could easily take out the three guards. However, she wasn’t sure she could take them out before they could alert more men. She would have to be lightning fast and each shot would have to be deadly accurate. Self-doubt wrapped its icy fingers around her spine and she felt hopelessness rise on her gut. She licked her lips, closed her eyes, and took deep breathes. Images of Clarke swam into her mind’s eye. Clarke laughing. Clarke smiling. Clarke looking at her with those unfathomably deep blue eyes. She clenched her jaw and straightened her shoulders. She had to do this for Clarke. 

She notched an arrow and brought it up to her face to take aim. She took in another deep breath. “I’m coming, Clarke,” she breathed as she let the first arrow fly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Anyone ready for a little save Clarke action? I'm not 100% satisfied with how the fighting in this chapter is written, but I've gone over it a million times. It's really hard to make it sound as awesome on paper as it is in my head without getting too wordy. I apologize for things that might not make sense ahead of time haha. Hope you enjoy the update, and keep those great comments coming! Thank you for all of your support.

Chapter 20

Clarke’s head was pounding, and her arms and back ached from being tied to the hard metal chair. They had left her tied in this same spot for what felt like hours. Black had mostly left her alone after their initial interaction. The room they had her in was large and mostly empty except for a table that held what looked like torture devices. Clarke hoped that Black wasn’t planning to use them on her. The floor was concrete and the ceiling was left open, exposing the beams in the roof. Two guards stood watch at the entrance door. Clarke couldn’t see where Black had went or what he was doing, but she could sense that he was still in the room. Every now and again his walkie would go off and he would quickly mumble orders into it.

This waiting was killing Clarke. She had tried to wriggle free of her bindings, but they were too tight. She wished that Black would just do whatever he was going to do and get it over with. Thoughts of Raven circled through her head, and she prayed that her best friend was okay. All of a sudden Black’s walkie started going off with frantic voices.

“Boss!” _static…mumbled noises_ …”…Oss! Can…hear!” _more static_.

Quint snatched up the walkie, “Williams! Can you hear me! What’s going on?!”

The radio crackled some more before a broken voice came through again, “Came…..nowhere. We…..to stop….” The radio was barely coming through. There was a grunt on the other end followed by a thump and then static.

“Williams?!” Quint shouted into the walkie. “Anyone there!” Nothing. Quint’s eyes flashed up to the guards at the door. “She’s here,” he ground out. He stalked over to the table that held the sharp tools. “Be on alert,” he ordered, “I’m sure she will be coming through that door any minute. When she does, kill her.”

Clarke’s heart started racing as she heard the conversation before her. Could it really be the Commander? How would she know that Clarke needed help? Then a terrifying realization struck Clarke. They were going to kill the Commander. They would catch her unaware. Clarke’s heart was pounding now at the thought of the Commander being in danger because of her. She started sweating and her mind was whirring trying to come up with a plan to distract them when she came.

Something in the rafters caught Clarke’s attention. She let her eyes roam up to the ceiling where they latched on to a pair of green orbs. Relief flooded through Clarke as she realized who it was. She could just make out a red sash and the glint of a sword. Clarke watched the Commander lean forward slightly to inspect the room. The Commander put a finger up to her mouth to signal for Clarke to be quiet and not give away her position.

Quint turned towards her wielding a very large, very sharp looking knife. “I thought you said she wouldn’t come for you,” he said with a sly smile. Clarke only stared at him with a look of disgust. He started stalking towards her with the knife. “No matter. Let’s go ahead and get this party started.” In four large steps he was on her. He grabbed her roughly by the hair and yanked her head to the side. She let out a pained yelp. He raised his hand to slice her throat, but before he could bring down the blade a dagger hit his forearm lodging itself in place. He howled with pain and dropped his knife to the side of the chair where Clarke was tied.

“Attack her and you attack me,” came a furious voice from across the room. Clarke looked up to see the Commander in all of her glory stalking towards Black, sword drawn and already dripping with the blood of the guards at the door.

“My fight is with you,” Quint snarled as he stood up to his full height and yanked the dagger from his forearm. He readied himself for an attack, the pain from his wound seemingly forgotten. “She was just a conciliation prize.”

“Your fight is over,” the Commander boomed as she ran at Quint sword coming up for an attack. Just like that they clashed together like two titans on an ancient battle field. Quint picked up the large knife that he had threatened Clarke with to parry the Commander’s blow. He threw a mighty punch which the Commander blocked with her forearm and answered with a kick to the chest that knocked Quint back a few paces and made him drop his knife. Clarke’s wide eyes tried to keep up with the punches, kicks, and slashes but the two figures were basically a blur. The vigilante’s sword had been knocked from her grip at some point, but that didn’t seem to slow her. Clarke struggled against her bindings trying to free herself so she could help the Commander. She saw the Commander take a blow to the face which made her grunt and fall back slightly. Clarke noticed as blood started to seep down her face from underneath her mask. Had she always wore a mask? She was only affected for a second though. Soon she was back to throwing punches and lashing out at Black who looked like he was starting to get a bit winded. His punches were becoming sloppy, but they still had a lot of power behind them. The Commander answered with her own punch that found purchase on Black’s chin. She had put enough force behind it to spin him around and knock him to the ground. He landed on his hands and knees close to his knife. He reached for it, but before he could grab it the Commander kicked his head hard with her boot-clad foot. The kick knocked him fully to the ground and then she brought her fist down to bash his head again. His body went slack.

The Commander wasn’t sure if he was dead, but her primary concern was Clarke. She left the bloodied man and ran over to the blonde. She knelt behind her and cut the bindings that held her to the chair. “I’m sorry that this happened to you,” she said to Clarke. “I never meant to put you in danger.”

Clarke rubbed her sore wrists as she turned to face the Commander, “This wasn’t your fault.”

“He abducted you because of me. You could have been killed because of me.” The Commander made quick work of the ropes that held Clarke’s legs. She saw the doctor go to protest again, but interrupted her, “We don’t have time to debate this now. We have to run. Are you hurt? Will you be able to run?”

Clarke shook her head, “I can run.” The Commander nodded her head to acknowledge that she had heard Clarke before grabbing the doctor by the hand and ushering her toward the exit. They fled the room, and Clarke had to swallow some bile that rose to her throat when she saw the dead guards at the door.

………….

They were running down a long corridor trying to find the nearest exit. The Commander had fallen behind her just a bit. Clarke suspected that the vigilante was guarding her from any attacks that might come from behind. Every now and again the Commander would place her hand on Clarke’s back to steer her in this or that direction. Clarke couldn’t help but feel a spark of electricity run through her every time. They finally came to a door that looked like it might lead to the outside. Clarke tried the handle, but it was locked. The Commander tried kicking the door out several times as well as throwing herself against it to get it open, but it wouldn’t budge. “We have to find another way,” she said as she grabbed Clarke’s hand again.

“Why don’t we just go out the same way you came in?” Clarke asked.

“I came through the ducts,” the Commander answered. “I was hoping there might be an easier way out than there was in.”

“That’s how you took care of all the guards so quietly?”

“Yes,” the Commander answered again, “but I may not have gotten them all. Come on we have to move.” The Commander grabbed her hand again and started pulling her in a new direction. They ran down a few more hallways before they came to a long spacious room. At the end of the room, was a bright red EXIT sign. “There,” the Commander shouted as she started pulling Clarke toward the exit. They ran as fast as they could toward the sign knowing that freedom lay just beyond.

Clarke had gotten a little ahead of the Commander when she heard the vigilante cry out in pain. The cry echoed all around the abandoned store room. Clarke whirled around in time to see the Commander hit her knees clutching her arm to her body. A sharp arrowhead protruded out of the Commander’s shoulder dripping with her blood.

“You didn’t think I would just let you walk out of here did you?” Quint’s voice boomed across the empty room. Blood dripped down his head from the wounds inflicted by his earlier fight. Clarke saw the bow and arrow he had used to shoot the Commander in his hand.

Clarke ran back to the Commander and dropped to her knees grabbing the masked face in her hands. “Come on we have to run,” Clarke said in a panic, worry etched all over her face.

“Isn’t that sweet,” Quint sneered. “Boys!” When he called out several men stepped out of the shadows and started to surround them.

The Commander grabbed her sword and unsheathed it as she stood up with a grimace. Her injured arm hung limply at her side. “No, Clarke,” she ground out, “you have to run.” The Commander turned and started to stalk towards Black. She was going to finish this.

Clarke grabbed her and spun her back around. Her blue eyes were frantic as she looked back and forth between the Commander’s green orbs, “I won’t leave you!”

“Kill the Commander!” Black bellowed into the room, “But leave the blonde for me.” As if something had suddenly released them, the men started to move forward.

“Go, Clarke!” The Commander yelled. “Get out of here now!” She shoved the blonde doctor heavily toward the door as the first man reached her and she slashed at him with her sword. Even with a useless arm, the Commander was far more skilled than these thugs. She side stepped the first man and drove her blade into his belly.

Clarke had started running toward the door, but she knew that the Commander could not beat all of the men with an injured shoulder no matter how skilled. She spotted a tire iron propped up against a stack of boxes. It was heavy in her hand when she picked it up and turned toward the fray. Two of the men had followed her and she was now faced off against them. _Okay, Clarke just focus,_ she told herself, _you’ve taken self-defense classes. You can do this._ The first man grabbed at her and she swung the tire iron hitting his hands away.

He grunted in pain and shook his hands. “Feisty little thing aren’t you,” his buddy sneered. She swung the tire iron at the first man again, but this time he saw it coming. He grabbed her wrist forcing her to drop her weapon and spun her so that he could wrap his arms around her. She stomped her foot into his as hard as she could and then brought her elbow back into his stomach with as much force as she could muster. He grunted again and released her. She spun around quickly and grabbed his head and slammed it down into her knee. He stumbled and fell backwards. She picked up her tire iron and brought it down across his head splitting it open. His eyes rolled back in his skull before he fell back completely. His partner jumped her and knocked her to the ground.

“I’ll kill you for that you little bitch,” he spat as he clambered on top of her. He put his hands around her throat and started to squeeze. She couldn’t breathe. She gasped for air but nothing entered her lungs. She struggled against him, slapping at his arms and body. Before she passed out, a dagger struck him in the head with deadly precision and he fell off of her dead. She looked up to see the Commander looking in her direction. The vigilante had already dispatched at least five men on her own.

Clarke looked at the vigilante in awe and then noticed another man coming up behind her. “Look out!” she cried as the Commander ducked and the thug’s hit missed her by just a hair. The force of the swing threw him out in front of her and she kicked him in the back forcing him to the floor. She quickly ran him through with her blade, pulling it back out and shaking the blood off of it. She failed to see Quint Black running at her, but Clarke didn’t. She looked around frantically for a weapon to use against him, her eyes finally settling on a pistol that had skidded across the floor. Quint tackled the Commander to the ground knocking her sword out of reach. She screamed as the arrow was pushed further through her shoulder with the force of the blow. He landed a punch across her face making blood spray out of her mouth. She struggled against him with her good arm trying to gain proper leverage. She managed to land a punch directly to his nose which allowed her to throw him off of her. She flipped over and struggled to get over to her sword, but Quint recovered, grabbed her by the leg, and dragged her back over to him. He managed to get on top of her again as he drew a dagger out of a sheath strapped to his thigh. She threw her arm up to stop his slash. He pushed down with all of his might and she strained against his force. Her veins popped out of her neck with the effort. She noticed Clarke looking at them with a terrified expression on her face, frozen with fear. She knew that she couldn’t hold Quint off much longer, but she could still make sure Clarke had the opportunity to escape. “Leave me!” she yelled in pained desperation. This seemed to break Clarke from her stupor and the Commander could see determination spread across her face.

“No,” Clarke said as her faced turned to stone. She brought a gun up and put a bullet right into Quint Black’s brain. His body fell to the side, lifeless.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! I am so excited for you guys to read this chapter. Thank you so much for all the wonderful feedback you guys always give me. You keep me inspired. Hope you all are having an awesome day!

Chapter 21

The gunshot rang around the empty warehouse room and everything seemed to move in slow motion as Clarke watched the bullet strike Quint in the temple. His body immediately slumped and fell to the side of the Commander. Clarke was frozen. The reality of what she had just done hit her all at once and knocked the breath from her lungs. She felt the beginnings of an anxiety attack as her stomach rolled and her ears rang. Large, hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she stared forward wide-eyed. She killed a man. She had snuffed out a life, stolen possibility from the world. She was supposed to be a healer.

A rough hand gently shook her from her stupor. A soft but strong voice filled her ears. It was distant at first as if someone was calling out to her from miles away. “Clarke,” it said urgently. “Clarke! Can you hear me? It’s okay. It’s over.” Green orbs filled her view as the voice continued to call out to her. Slowly her world started to become clear again. “Clarke, I know you’re scared, but we can’t stay here. We have to go.”

She snapped back to reality with a sob, “I ki….I ki….” She couldn’t force the words to come out of her mouth.

“You did what you had to do,” the Commander said as she stood and pulled Clarke up with her good arm. “I have a car parked about a mile from here. Can you make it?” She steadied the blonde doctor with her strong grasp. Clarke swayed momentarily, but seemed to be recovering some control. She nodded her head to signal that she could make it to the car. “Okay,” the vigilante sighed, “let’s get you out of here.” She wrapped her arm around Clarke and led her toward the door. Clarke numbly put one foot in front of the other.  
………….

“Do you have a cellphone or something?” Clarke frantically asked the vigilante once they had cleared the building. “My friend, Raven, they beat her up pretty bad when they took me. I need to call 911 and have them check on her. She could be dead by now.” Clarke felt the hot tears on her cheeks again at the thought.

“Your friend is being taken care of, but you can call her once we are safely in the car,” the vigilante informed her, but immediately wished she hadn’t. How was she going to cover up how she knew about Raven?!

“How do you know that?” Clarke asked as she rushed to catch up with the dark figure.

_Shit! Think Lexa! Think!_ “I’ve been watching Quint Black for a long time. My source informed me of his activities tonight. I went to your apartment first. I found Raven and left my partner to make sure she was cared for. She was banged up, but she will live.” _Phew, thank god for all the practice I’ve had thinking under pressure_. “The car should be just ahead in those bushes,” she stated as they drew near. She started to walk toward the driver’s side door.

“You can’t drive in that condition,” Clarke stated. Now that she knew Raven was getting the help she needed, her doctor brain was kicking in. The Commander was injured, and she needed Clarke’s help.

“I’ll be fine,” came the gruff response.

Clarke had caught up to the dark figure. She grabbed the Commander’s good shoulder and spun her around to look her in the eye. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she admonished. “That is a serious injury. I need to get you to the hospital.”

The Commander was shocked for a moment at the audacity of the blonde, but she quickly recovered. “I said I’ll be fine,” she insisted. “I can’t go to a hospital. They ask too many questions. Trust me, I have had worse.” She turned to continue the last of her trek to the car.

Clarke jogged to keep up with her, “Then let me help you. I’m a doctor. I have supplies at my apartment.”

“That would be unwise,” the Commander said with a grind of her jaw.

“You’re being stubborn!” Clarke stated frustrated. “The least you can let me do is fix up your shoulder. You have saved my life three times now.”

The Commander whirled around on her, “And you have saved mine. I do not do this because I expect anything in return.”

“Just let me help you,” Clarke demanded as she searched what she could see of the masked woman’s face. “Please.” The Commander knew she would not win this fight.  
…………….

“Sit there on the stool at the island,” Clarke ordered the Commander as she ushered the vigilante into her apartment. She rushed off in the opposite direction to grab supplies from her room.

The Commander did as she was bid. She was too tired to put up anymore fight, and her shoulder was throbbing. She was trying to keep a brave face, but she knew Clarke had caught her grimace with every bump in the road. She sat gingerly at the kitchen island, waiting for the blonde doctor to return. She was nervous to be alone with Clarke. The doctor rushed back into the room and plopped her supplies down on the counter next to her patient. Gentle hands came up to examine what little bit of the wound could be seen.

“It went straight through, so that’s good. It didn’t seem to hit anything vital,” Clarke stated, doctor brain fully functional. “I’m going to have to remove the arrow so we can get your clothes off.”

The Commander couldn’t help the smirk that made its way onto her face. “You could at least buy me a drink first,” she teased.

Clarke’s cheeks lit up bright red as she realized what she had just said. She hid her embarrassment by going around to the Commander’s back, but it was too late. The Commander chuckled. Clarke tried to act annoyed, but she let a smile grace her lips when she knew she could no longer be seen. “We’ll see how many jokes you have when I pull this arrow out,” she groused as she took hold of the end sticking out of the Commander’s back. She snapped the end off so she could pull it through the other side. To the Commander’s credit, she only grunted slightly. “Now for the fun part,” Clarke said as she came back around to face the Commander. She locked eyes with the masked woman as she placed a steadying hand on her shoulder and gripped the arrow with the other. “This is going to hurt. We’ll go on the count of three, okay?” All she got was a nod. “Are you ready?” The Commander closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. She exhaled it slowly and let her eyes come back open to lock onto sky blue. Another nod. Clarke planted her feet and began the count, “One…….Two…….”

“AHHHHHHHHHH,” the Commander yelled as Clarke yanked the arrow out on two. “I don’t think you know how to count,” she gritted out. If Clarke didn’t know better she would think she saw the green eyes before her mist over with unshed tears.

“Sometimes it’s better to take your patient by surprise,” Clarke said as she began undoing the buckles that held the Commander’s outfit together. “Now help me get you out of this getup. I don’t want you to lose too much blood.”

The Commander felt her heart rate pick up as the doctor started to undress her. It’s just to look at your shoulder. She is doing her job, she chanted in her mind. She couldn’t help the blush that crept up her neck. If Clarke noticed, she didn’t say anything. Clarke had already gotten her pauldron off and was working on undoing her coat fastenings. She helped her shrug out of it, being mindful of her wound. She was now down to her black undershirt. It was soaked with blood.

“This is going to have to come off, too,” Clarke sighed. She gingerly tugged at the hem of the shirt, helping the Commander get her good arm out first. Clarke couldn’t help but admire the sun kissed skin that was revealed as she undressed the vigilante. She was met with chiseled arms and taught abdominal muscles. The body of a warrior. An intricate, tribal tattoo was inked onto the woman's bicep. It made Clarke wish she knew what it meant. She noticed that various scars littered the woman’s chest, stomach, and arms. _I guess she wasn’t lying when she said she’s had worse,_ Clarke thought then quickly admonished herself for admiring the half-naked woman who was now only clad in a black sports bra and skin-tight, faded black jeans. Clarke grimaced as the arrow wound was revealed, and the Commander groaned as she peeled the soaked material off of it. She quickly picked up a clean towel and pressed it into the front of the vigilante’s shoulder who hissed at the contact. “I’m sorry,” Clarke said apologetically. “Hold this as tight as you can.” She placed the Commander’s hand over the towel, so she could go around to the woman’s back.

The Commander’s back was just as littered with scars as her front, and there was another intricate tattoo that began near the bottom of her neck and stretched to the edge of her pants. Clarke fought the urge to run her hand over the muscled shoulders. _Concentrate, Griffin. She’s bleeding out in front of you for Christ sake!_ Clarke pulled some antiseptic out of her bag to disinfect the wound. The Commander’s back went tight and she sat straight up when the antiseptic hit the injury. She hissed out in pain. “It’s okay, it’s okay, that’s the worst of it,” Clarke cooed as she rubbed her other hand over the woman’s back soothingly. She noticed goose bumps break out over the Commander’s skin, and she relaxed considerably at the gentle touch. Clarke smiled to herself. She decided she should distract the vigilante, because the worst was far from over. “So, how’d you get into the vigilante business?” she tried as she continued to tend to the wound.

“I saw a need and I had the ability to do something about it,” The Commander replied. She was embarrassed at how weak she must seem in front of the doctor, but her shoulder hurt and the blonde was so gentle. She couldn’t help but enjoy the fact that she was being cared for. It made her heart hurt to think that this bright, gentle being was almost taken from the world because of her. “You should have left me behind. Two would have died instead of one,” she muttered somberly.

Clarke couldn’t help but be taken aback and a little offended. She was in the middle of stitching the wound closed and she would be lying if she said she didn’t plunge the needle in a little harder after the statement. The Commander grunted. “But I stayed and helped, and neither of us died. I think that is a better outcome, don’t you? I know I don’t know you very well, but when someone saves your life, you should probably say thank you,” Clarke retorted.

“I’m serious, Clarke,” the Commander admonished. She then added softer, “You shouldn’t have risked your life for me. Your life has far more value than mine.”

Clarke couldn’t help the disbelieving scoff that left her. She thought for a moment before responding with, “You can’t possibly believe that. I couldn’t leave you. God forbid you die and then the criminals are left to run rampant. Your life has far more value. The city needs you.” Dread crept into Clarke’s heart as she thought about the Commander sacrificing her life. She finished up with the Commander’s back and moved around to her front. The woman’s eyes were downcast, and a frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. She seemed to be deep in thought. Clarke gently took the towel in her hand and coaxed it away from the wound on her front. It was more jagged and fierce. She carefully started cleaning the harsh gash.

The Commander had a harder time hiding her discomfort with the doctor standing right in front of her. She knew the woman was seeing every grimace and heard every silent hiss. The blonde doctor tried to comfort her as much as possible. She was extremely gentle, and she blew on the angry wound to calm the burning when she applied the antiseptic. The Commander didn’t miss the sympathetic look in the doctor’s eyes. Once the worst of it was over, and Clarke was stitching her shoulder she decided to speak again, “You’re wrong, you know.”

Clarke had been concentrating and had that determined look on her face. The interruption disturbed her concentration and broke the quiet bubble of comfort that had settled around them. “Hmmmm?” she hummed out.

The Commander smiled briefly but continued, “You’re wrong about the city needing me. There are other’s that would take up my mantle. What the city truly needs is people like you. Heroes who can make a difference without putting on a mask.” Clarke wasn’t sure how to respond to such an open, honest statement, so she just furrowed her brows and remained silent. “I’m sorry. I should have thanked you earlier,” The Commander continued. “It’s just…..If something had happened to you because of me……” She couldn’t finish.

Clarke sighed and looked into the green eyes that were studying her. She noticed a vulnerability there that had not been present before. “I told you it wasn’t your fault,” she insisted.

“But it was,” The Commander replied. “If it hadn’t been for me, he would have never singled you out. He would have never taken you…..”

“If it hadn’t been for you, he would have killed me that first night in the alley,” Clarke interrupted. That shut her up. Clarke fought the urge to reach up and smooth out the frown lines that marred the parts of the Commander’s face that she could see around the mask. She finished up her work on the vigilante’s shoulder. “There. All finished. I think you will live to fight another day. Try to keep it stationary as much as possible. Wouldn’t want to rip the stitches.” She gathered up the bloody towels and tools she had used and took them to the sink. While she was washing up, she heard a creak and jumped when she turned to be face to face with the taller woman.

The Commander had a clean towel in her hand and was running warm water over it. Clarke looked up at her quizzically. With her good arm, she brought the towel up to wipe at Clarke’s brow. “I’m not the only one that has a battle wound,” she uttered softly. Clarke grimaced at first, but relaxed as the warm water soothed the broken skin. She let the vigilante clean the laceration on her forehead. Her heart beat more rapidly at the intimate way the Commander treated her cut. She was gentle and slow. She blew on the cut when Clarke scrunched her face up as antiseptic was applied and muttered soothing affirmations as she continued her ministrations. The Commander gently grabbed Clarke’s chin and turned her head this way then that way to inspect her work. “I think you will live to fight another day,” she breathed out with a small smile. It sent shivers up Clarke’s spine.

“Thank you,” Clarke managed to rasp out.

“I think I should be telling you that,” the Commander replied as she swiped her thumb gently along Clarke’s bottom lip. Clarke watched as green eyes darted down to her lips, and her breath hitched. The world seemed to slow down as the Commander dropped her hand to grasp gently around Clarke’s neck and pull her closer. All of a sudden their lips were touching, moving together in perfect harmony as if they had been molded for each other. Clarke melted into the kiss bringing her hands up to clutch at dark braids before letting them fall to strong shoulders. The Commander’s good arm snaked around her waist, and pulled her tighter into the hard body before her. Clarke’s hands dropped to the Commander’s sides before tracing around to the strong back that she had so desperately wanted to touch before. An inquisitive tongue darted out to trace Clarke’s lips which eagerly parted to allow entrance. The kiss was intense and passionate, and it relayed every emotion that had not been spoken. Clarke ran her hands up the Commander’s neck and stopped at the edges of the mask that rested on her cheeks. She began to lift the mask from the vigilante’s face, but the Commander snapped back so fast that it nearly gave Clarke whiplash. The tall, brooding figure twirled quickly so that her back was facing Clarke as she made sure the mask was securely in place. “I’m sorry,” she muttered quickly, “I shouldn’t have done that. We can’t do this. I need to go.”

The rejection stung Clarke and she was a little dumbfounded. She noticed that the Commander was beginning to gather her things and she quickly snapped into action. She grabbed the girls hand from behind which caused her to pause, but the Commander did not turn to look at her. “You can trust me,” Clarke pleaded, “I won’t tell anyone.”

The Commander let out a deep breath and her shoulders slumped. She turned around and looked directly into sky blue eyes. “I do trust you, Clarke,” she confessed, “but I cannot put you in danger like that. People who are close to me….they don’t seem to live very long. I refuse to put you in a dangerous position.”

“Shouldn’t that be my choice?” Clarke tried.

The Commander couldn’t help but smile at this stubborn woman. “You would choose wrong,” she stated and turned to continue gathering her things.

“Okay, wait. Just wait,” Clarke demanded. “You don’t have to tell me who you are, but I would be a terrible doctor if I let you leave. It’s late and you’ve lost quite a bit of blood. Just stay until morning. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” Clarke could see the thoughts running through the vigilante’s mind. She could see the desire to stay, but knew that she would leave. To help her case, Clarke added, “Besides, I’m still a little shook up and it would really help if you just stayed a little longer. Just to have someone else in the apartment.” The Commander couldn’t deny that Clarke had been through hell tonight. If the positions were reversed, she wouldn’t want to be alone either. Clarke could see the internal struggle on the Commander’s face. “Please,” she begged looking into those unfathomably green eyes.

The vigilante sighed heavily as she walked toward the sofa, “Only for a few hours. Just long enough for my strength to return.” Clarke couldn’t help but feel like she had won a small victory. She felt giddy and allowed herself a small happy dance when the Commander’s back was turned, but quickly schooled her expression. She wasn’t completely lying when she had said she would feel better with someone else in the apartment. She still hadn’t processed the events that happened earlier, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to face them.

The Commander felt the sofa cushion sink beside her as Clarke sat down. She kept her eyes closed and pretended to meditate, but really she was just trying to focus on maintaining her cool control. The kiss had set her nerve endings on fire, and all she wanted was to engulf the beautiful blonde beside her. A heavy silence fell between them, and they sat like this for what seemed like eternity. The Commander chanced a peek at the doctor but noticed that her attention was elsewhere. She had a frown on her face and stared out the window as if she was in another world. Unshed tears filled her eyes. The Commander realized that the events of the night must be catching up to her. She laid a comforting hand over Clarke’s whose trance was quickly broken. The doctor looked at her curiously, but she could see the remnants of the toil the night had taken on the other girl. “Everything is going to be okay,” she said soothingly as she rubbed her thumb over the doctor’s knuckles.

“How do you know?” Clarke asked as she stared into the Commander’s soul. The Commander just dropped her head, because she couldn’t answer that question. Clarke took the hint and nodded her head as if she understood. They fell back into their comfortable silence.

It wasn’t long after, that the Commander felt Clarke’s head drop onto her shoulder. She looked over and noticed that the blonde had fallen asleep. She let out a sigh. She was really doing a terrible job of keeping her distance. Tomorrow she would go back to ignoring her feelings, but tonight she needed this. She had a feeling that Clarke did too, so she allowed the blonde to rest her head on her shoulder and soaked up the feeling of being in her presence.

She ran her fingers over a flushed cheek and tucked a golden strand of hair behind an ear. “Just for tonight,” she muttered as she let the girl sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! I know we are all reeling from that kiss last chapter, but there is more angst ahead. I thought it was important from a story perspective to see where their heads are and to build a little more plot. I know *groan*. Hang in there. As always, I love hearing from you guys. You keep me inspired. Have a great week!

Chapter 22

Clarke awoke to an empty couch. She felt stiff and groggy and, for a moment, wondered if everything that had occurred the previous night had been a dream. It wasn’t. She had been kidnapped, Raven had been injured, The Commander had rescued her, and she had KILLED a man. KILLED a man! That event hadn’t processed in her brain last night. Now that she was alone, an anxious, sickening feeling crept into her stomach. Bile rose up in her throat, and she rushed to the bathroom as her stomach emptied itself. Her breaths came in heavy pants, and chills ran all over her body making her break out in goose bumps. Tears rolled down her cheeks as sobs shook her body. The deep breaths that she took helped to slow her racing heart. She laid out on the bathroom tile, letting its cool surface comfort her.

Her panic attack was interrupted by a sharp knock at the door. She quickly pulled herself together and splashed her face with water. Shaky hands smoothed her hair and clothes, trying to make her as presentable as possible. There was no telling who it could be. The knock came again. “Coming!” she yelled out as she dried her face.

The door was opened to a short, chubby man in white, paint-splattered work overalls. He had a thick, gray handle bar mustache and wiry hair that stuck out underneath his baseball cap. She looked at him curiously as he perused his clipboard. “Clarke Griffin?” he said in a heavy Brooklyn accent.

“That’s me,” she replied.

“I have a work order to fix a broken lock on a fire escape door and a replacement door for the main entrance here,” he stated. “Person that placed the order said you wouldn’t be expecting me, but to give you this. It will explain everything.” He held out a thick envelope that had “ **Clarke** ” printed in neat handwriting on the front.

“Okay,” she said hesitantly. “Well the door is this way.” She opened the door and motioned for him to come in. He was directed to the fire escape door in Raven’s room.

“Seems like an easy enough fix,” he said after inspecting the lock. “I’ll get right to it.”

Clarke nodded and left him to his work. She was itching to know what was in the envelope. Upon opening the small package, a device with a red button in the center slid out, and it was accompanied by a letter:

_Clarke,_

_I am sorry that I did not say goodbye before I left, but I think it is better this way. I have already put you in too much danger. Your brightness is something that this world sorely needs, and I would never forgive myself if something were to happen to you because of me. I did not want to leave you vulnerable, so I sent the repairman to fix both doors in your apartment. It is the least I can do as a way to say thank you. The device in this envelope is a way to contact me should you ever again find yourself in a dire situation like last night. Simply push the button, and I WILL find you. Only use it if you are in true danger. I’m sorry that I cannot offer you more than this, but know that I am making this decision with my head and not my heart._

_The Commander_

Clarke’s heart ached as she read the note. The Commander had made her decision clear last night, but that didn’t stop the burning in Clarke’s chest when she thought of the vigilante. The kiss they had shared ignited her bones. Something had been stirring in her since the first night they had met, and the kiss had made her feelings crystal clear. She wanted to be mad at the Commander, but she understood the logic behind her decision. It wasn’t fair. The alarm on her phone told her that she had to pick Raven up in an hour. She had been able to talk to her best friend on the phone last night. Raven had sounded beaten and tired, but the same old Reyes snark had been there. In true Griffin fashion, she pushed her feelings down and went to get ready. Right now, Raven needed her, and she had to put the Commander out of her head.

……………

 

It had been a mistake to leave the note and the device for Clarke. It had been weakness. Lexa knew that with every fiber of her being, but the doctor had made her feel something that she thought she would never feel again. Something she thought would never be inspired by anyone but Costia. As much as she knew it was foolish, she couldn’t simply leave without at least telling Clarke......something. She had rationalized leaving the device as a way to protect Clarke if she ever needed the Commander even though she knew it was unnecessary. Raven would tell her if Clarke was in trouble.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Anya broke her out of her thoughts. She was in the Commander’s lair cleaning her weapons and mending her suit. “The doctor would have your head if she knew you were moving that shoulder around.”

“Can’t,” came the short reply. “How is Raven?”

“She was okay when I left,” Anya assured her as she sat on the table next to Lexa. “They banged her up pretty good, but she’s tough. She took everything like a champ.” Anya smiled to herself as she thought about the dark-haired girl.

Lexa caught the look and teased, “I think someone might have a little crush.”

Anya’s eyes went wide. “I do not! I admire her! She’s tough and smart and a lot better company than you, Commander Grumps,” she defended.

“I think you’ve just proved my point,” Lexa chuckled.

“Oh shut up,” Anya said as her eyes narrowed. “If you want to talk about crushes, how about we talk about you and the good doctor, huh?”

“I think we have already discussed that topic,” Lexa stated as her playful expression quickly turned to seriousness.

“So?”

“So, there is nothing to discuss,” Lexa sighed out.

“Oh, come on. I know you Lexa. You don’t stay up at night over nothing, and you sure as hell don’t let pretty blonde girls help you when you get hurt.”

“I’ve never come across a pretty blonde girl who is also a doctor before.”

“Lexa…….”

Lexa put down her sword that she was meticulously cleaning and rubbed her hands over her face. “I told you, Anya, it doesn’t matter how I feel about her. To be the Commander is to be alone.”

“You know I don’t believe that bull shit. Besides, no one is forcing you to be the Commander, Lexa. That is a choice you made,” Anya snipped. It was a low blow. She supported the Commander and their cause fully. She believed in the difference that they were making, but she also cared for Lexa. She didn’t want her to spend her life unhappy and alone.

“And have I not helped the city? Has the crime rate not dropped significantly since her appearance?” Lexa challenged.

Anya felt guilty for the jibe. “That’s not what I’m saying….”

“Then what are you saying, Anya? The city needs the Commander! Without her, criminals run rampant! Drugs infest the streets! Thugs threaten business establishments! Murderers take innocent lives! Innocent lives like Costia!” Lexa’s tone had grew in volume as she continued her impassioned speech. By the time she reached the end, tears slid down her cheeks.

Anya had closed the distance between her and Lexa. She grabbed the grief-stricken girl with the world on her shoulders and wrapped her in a tight hug. A slender hand rubbed soothing circles over a heaving back. “Costia would be so proud of you,” she breathed comfortingly. “You have accomplished so much. The city is a safer place, and they have you to thank for that.” Anya pulled back and put her hands on each side of Lexa’s face, forcing the dark-haired girl to look her in the eye. “But Costia would want you to move on with your life. She would want you to love and be happy. You know that I support you and I will fight fiercely by your side, but don’t miss out on a chance for happiness. You deserve more than that.”

Lexa sniffled and wiped the tears from her face. She had allowed herself a moment of vulnerability with Anya. This seemed to be happening too much lately. She squared her shoulders and set her hard mask back into place before replying, “I really don’t think I do.”

…………

 

“Ms. Reyes, please let me help you into the wheelchair. Its hospital policy that you have to be rolled out to your vehicle,” Clarke could hear the nurse pleading with Raven as she neared her best friend’s hospital room. She smiled to herself. Of course Raven was being difficult even after being nearly beat to death.

“Look, lady, there is nothing wrong with my legs. I have some broken ribs, and I look like I got my ass handed to me in a cage fighting match, but I am completely capable of walking myself out of this hospital,” Raven spat irritated.

Clarke propped herself against the door frame and watched the two argue with each other a little longer. When it looked as if things might get physical, she stepped in, “I think I can take it from here, nurse. She might listen to me more.”

Raven’s head snapped up to look at her smirking best friend. A wry smile of her own appeared on her face though it was hard to tell from all the swelling. “Oh thank god,” Raven huffed in relief. “Clarke, please save me from these people.”

Clarke watched the nurse leave and heard a mumbled _“Good riddance”_ as she passed. She walked over to where the wheelchair was parked at Raven’s bed and patted the seat while looking at the dark-haired girl with a quirked eyebrow. When Raven gave her an exasperated look she said, “Come on. Doctor’s orders.”

“Not you too,” Raven whined pathetically.

“Oh come on, Raven. It’s not that bad, and if you are a good little patient, I’ll stop by Sweet Treats and get that ice-cream that you like so much.”

Raven’s eyes lit up with childlike excitement. “And you’ll get the toffee pieces to go on top?!”

Clarke rolled her eyes but agreed with a smile, “I’ll even get the toffee pieces to go on top.”

Turns out Raven wasn’t as much of a pain as everyone thought. She just needed the proper motivation. She hopped down off the bed and plopped down into the wheelchair with a, “Get me the hell outta here, Griffin!”

………….

 

Once Raven was situated in the passenger’s seat and Clarke had climbed into the driver’s seat, she leaned over the console and threw her arms tightly, but carefully around her best friend. “I was so worried about you,” Clarke admitted. “I don’t know what I would’ve done…..” Her emotions caught in her throat.

“Jesus, get yourself together, Griffin. You’re making a scene,” Raven tried to defuse the tension that the emotions brought on, but she returned the hug just as desperately. They separated and tried to contain their emotions. Clarke put the car in drive and started their journey home. They rode in silence for a little while until Raven couldn’t take it anymore, “So, the Commander rescued you?”

“Do you really want to talk about this?” Clarke answered.

“Well, I think it’s unhealthy to keep it bottled up. Who else can I talk to about this whole crazy situation?”

“Do you think we should talk to the cops?”

Raven’s heart-rate sped up a little. She wasn’t sure how Lexa usually went about the clean-up. She felt like she should try to protect her new team mates, though. “I don’t think that is a good idea. It could get us involved in a whole shit storm.”

“People died Raven! I….I….” Clarke’s words caught in her throat again.

“You what, Griffin? Spit it out,” Raven said giving her friend a concerned look.

“I KILLED SOMEONE!” Clarke confessed with a sob. She pulled the car over, so they wouldn’t wreck.

Raven slumped against the passenger seat and stared out the window, dumb-founded. “Shit,” she finally added.

“Yeah,” Clarke sniffled as she nodded her head and tried to regain control.

“Why?” Raven heard herself say though she hadn’t really meant to.

“He was going to kill the Commander. I couldn’t let him kill her. I had to do something. He was choking her and she told me to run but I couldn’t just leave her there to die. She saved my life! Three times! I couldn’t leave her…..” Clarke broke down crying again.

Raven shook herself from her stupor. “Clarke, look at me,” she demanded. “You did what you had to do. Those men were bad men. They hurt people. They hurt me. They hurt you. The world is a better place without them. I’m sure the Commander would have done the same, and I’m sure she is thankful.” Clarke had dried her tears somewhat, but at the mention of the Commander she lost all control of her emotions again. Raven’s eyes got wide at the outburst. “What?! What did I say?!”

“The Commander,” was all Clarke offered as more tears spilled out of her eyes. The events of the last 24 hours were simply too much for her to handle, and Raven was a safe place. Usually, she would push everything down. Work through the problem. Do what had to be done with precise focus, but this may be the only chance she has to break down, so she was going to take it.

“What about her?” Raven asked as she tried to soothe the blonde.

After Clarke calmed her crying she told Raven the story, “She got shot with an arrow, so I took her back to the apartment to clean her up. Well, long story short I cleaned her up then she cleaned me up and there was all this sexual tension. We kissed each other, and it was the best kiss I think I have ever experienced. I tried to take her mask off, but she wouldn’t let me. She told me it was too dangerous, and tried to leave. I begged her to stay, but when I woke up she was gone. She sent a repairman to fix the doors, and he gave me a letter that was from her basically telling me that she would never see me again because it’s too dangerous.”

Raven was staring at her with mouth agape, “Wow. Just wow.” She turned to look out the windshield as she formulated some kind of response. “No wonder you’re having a break down. And I thought my night was eventful.”

Clarke chuckled through her waning tears, “It’s a wonder I’m a functional human being right now.”

“Well that’s debatable,” Raven retorted. There was a pregnant pause as both girls sat deep in thought. “She’s right you know.” Clarke looked at Raven with a confused expression. “The Commander? She’s right. It is too dangerous. She did the right thing.”

“I know. I still can’t help but feel like I lost something great before it ever began. I’ve never felt a connection like that before, Raven. It was just….magnetic.”

Raven felt sorry for her best friend. She could see that Clarke was being honest. She would have to talk to Lexa about what her intentions were and why she would tread into such dangerous territory. She couldn’t help but feel like she should offer some kind of comfort to her heart broken friend, “Well, you know what they say. If it’s meant to be, it will be. Fate has a funny way of bringing two people together. That’s not me giving my approval for dating a vigilante! God only knows what dangers that entails….but you can’t stop fate.”

“Maybe you’re right,” Clarke sighed.

“I usually am,” Raven said with her signature smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
>  Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday everyone! So this chapter was a last minute decision that I threw together really quickly. I have written all the way to chapter 26 and realized that I was making you guys wait 5 more chapters before another Clexa interaction. As vital as the next few chapters are to the story, I couldn't do that. So if this chapter feels a little rushed, that's why. As always, I love hearing from you guys. You are all so sweet and wonderful and keep me inspired. Thank you for reading!

Chapter 23

A few days had passed since Quint’s attack. Clarke had taken some time off from the hospital. Her excuse had been looking after Raven, which was partially true, but also she was a nervous wreck. Spontaneous break downs had been interrupting her day ever since that night, and she could barely stomach any food. Raven had to coach her through each episode by encouraging her to breathe and wiping her face with a cold washcloth. Her snarky best friend was beginning to get worried, but Clarke had been gradually pulling herself together. After a few days had passed, Clarke seemed to be back to her old self. On the outside anyway. In truth, she knew she had a job to do. The hospital wasn’t going to take care of itself, and there were people who needed her. Killing Quint was tormenting her conscience, but maybe she could make up for it by saving innocent people. Yeah, innocent people. Clarke would focus on the lives she could save, not the one she had took. 

“Are you sure you are going to be okay by yourself? I really can take off another day if you think you might need me,” she asked as she rushed around their small kitchen gathering her wallet, keys, and fixing a coffee to go. 

Raven looked up from the book she was reading. The bruises that littered her face were turning yellow and fading. “I’ll be fine, Clarke,” she said exasperated. “The real question is, will you be okay?” 

“I can’t sit around the house anymore. It isn’t helping anything. If I am distracted with work....I need to occupy my mind.” 

“I can’t argue with you there,” she mumbled as she sipped her coffee. Raven watched her best friend open the kitchen cabinets frantically, searching for something. After the third time, she threw her hands on her hips and blew an unruly piece of hair out of her face before blowing out a puff of air exasperatedly. “Your thermos is in the dishwasher,” she said. 

Clarke snapped her fingers and jumped into action as Raven’s words dawned on her and grabbed the thermos from the dishwasher. “What would I ever do without you?” she asked gratefully as she prepared her coffee. “Don’t do too much activity today. Those ribs are still healing.....”

“YES mooom,” Raven grumbled. 

“You heard me. Call me if you need anything,” Clarke grabbed her keys and headed toward the door.

“Don’t worry about me, okay? There are leftovers in the fridge. I have my book and Netflix, and I have a friend from work coming over later to check on me.” 

Clarke stopped in her tracks. She turned to Raven with raised eyebrows. “A friend from work? Who is it?”

Raven brought her coffee mug up to take another sip. She waggled her eyebrows and replied, “Wouldn’t you like to know? Now get out of here before you’re late.” Clarke rolled her eyes as she made her exit, locking the door behind her. 

..............

She was glad she had decided to come to work today. They had another important meeting with Trikru, and she would have died if she had left the decisions solely to Jaha and the board. Hiring new staff and purchasing new equipment were today’s topics of discussion, and no one knew what they needed better than her. If Jaha had his way, they would just keep trucking along with what they currently had. She was afraid that he wouldn’t be a good enough advocate for the hospital, and he had a strange way of convincing her mother and Kane to go along with whatever he said. 

Currently, they were all sitting in the conference room waiting for Ms. Woods and Gustus to arrive. Jaha, Kane, and Abby sat whispering among themselves, Clarke was reading over her notes and proposals for the meeting, and Titus, who had apparently left separately and arrived early, was heatedly talking on his cellphone in the corner. Clarke glanced at her watch. The meeting was supposed to start 20 minutes ago. Lexa was notorious for being late. From what Clarke could hear of Titus’s conversation, he was fed up with the CEO’s punctuality. Clarke didn’t mind so much. It gave her extra time to prepare.

Titus finally ended his call and twirled around to them as he shoved his phone in his pocket. “Please forgive our tardiness,” he apologized in his stiff, professional way. “Ms. Woods seems to think that everyone runs on her schedule.” 

“It’s quite alright,” Kane said smoothly. He was using his calming voice. “We are surprised that Ms. Woods has time to meet with us personally. We thought that we would be working with someone that represents Trikru. It is a great honor to have her here. We can spare a few extra minutes.” Titus would have accepted this and dropped the issue, but Jaha decided to scoff and roll his eyes. 

“Yes, well Ms. Woods has taken a special interest in your little hospital,” Titus gritted out, looking directly at Jaha. “She is determined to help you succeed......even if half of the council disagrees with her.”

“If half of her council disagrees with her, then why bother?” Jaha asked defensively. Clarke could already tell that this meeting would be fun. 

“It seems our fearless leader has a bigger heart than she likes to let on,” Titus responded. It sounded as if the thought of having a heart disgusted him. 

“When a family is as successful as the Woods, they should give back to those less fortunate,” Clarke interjected. “Lexa is trying to do the right thing. Be a good person.”

“That is one opinion,” Titus grumbled as he opened his laptop and went back to ignoring them.

...........

It was another ten minutes before Lexa made her grand entrance. She really did feel bad about being late.....this time. Usually, she could care less, but she didn’t want Clarke to think bad of her.....for obvious reasons. She had planned to be on time, but it had taken her longer than usual to get ready. The arrow wound in her shoulder was more sore than ever, and she eventually had to call Anya to come and help her get dressed. Her well-meaning partner had lectured her the entire time about how she should have been taking it easy instead of carrying on as usual. All Lexa could do was take the scolding, because Anya was right. 

Gustus opened the door for her and she stiffly rushed past him into the room. “So sorry I’m late everyone,” she said as she took her place at the head of the long conference table. Her attention immediately went to Clarke, who didn’t notice, and she had to take a moment to collect herself. Just being in the same vicinity as the blonde made her heart beat faster. Titus glared at her from his seat, but she returned his glare coolly until he looked away. After everyone was settled, she continued, “Well, how is everything? How is the remodel going?”

“The hospital is more beautiful with each passing day,” Marcus Kane piped up with a friendly smile. “Trikru has went above and beyond.”

“They already bought the hospital, Marcus,” Jaha snipped. “You don’t have to keep using that voice.” Kane’s face fell while Abby’s eyes got wider. Was Jaha serious? 

“I see no reason why we can’t compliment what they have done so far,” Kane defended. “We should celebrate in the victories. We are partners now.”

“We are not partners,” Jaha said pointedly. “We are a subsidiary. They own us.” 

“I’m sorry, Director Jaha. We have done everything in our power to include you all in the decision making process. Have we done something with which you are dissatisfied?” Lexa said smoothly. A tight-lipped smile appeared on her face. 

“Of course not,” Jaha said with fake geniality.

“Very well,” Lexa said moving on not wanting to draw attention to Jaha’s attitude. “Let’s get down to business then. Today, we are talking about what comes next. We want your opinions on which we should focus on most: new equipment or new employees.” 

Jaha was quick to jump in again, “I think we should focus on updating our equipment. If we had proper equipment, our staff could help our patients much more quickly. We may not even have to hire new employees.” Kane looked as if he agreed with the logic, while Clarke gave Jaha an incredulous glare. 

“Regardless of equipment, we still need new nurses, doctors, and techs,” Clarke cut in. “We have too many patients and not enough staff to get them the help they need.”

“We serve every patient that comes through those doors,” Jaha rebutted. 

“We also have one of the most embarrassing track records for malpractice,” Clarke defended. “Overwhelmed doctors make mistakes. We can’t...”

“Then our doctors should be held to a higher standard,” Jaha stated. 

“Now hold on, Thelonius,” it was Abby’s turn to be offended. The older Dr. Griffin remembered what it was like out in the trenches. “Our doctors bust their asses on a daily basis to keep this hospital up and running.” 

“I’m just saying that we shouldn’t be spending money on hiring new staff. We aren’t pulling in the money to support new staff member’s. We want to be profitable. We don’t want to cause Ms. Woods and the board more trouble than we already are as Titus explained earlier.” Clarke saw Lexa give Titus a death stare. She hoped that she was never on the receiving end of one of those looks. 

Titus straightened in his chair. “I never said that Ark was trouble,” he interjected. “I said that Ms. Woods is determined to see Ark succeed, regardless of the other council member’s opinions.” 

“It really seems the same,” Jaha said with a grin. He knew exactly what he was doing. “With new equipment, our staff can be more efficient. They can take care of the patients faster. We can get the young Dr. Griffin here, back in the operating room where she belongs, instead of in a conference...”

“Clarke will speak for herself,” Lexa cut Jaha off. The look she gave him was dangerous and Clarke could tell he was trying not to shrink in his seat. The young CEO then turned her icy gaze to the surgeon. “What do you say, Clarke? Where would you rather be?”

Clarke weighed her words for a moment. She would rather be in the operating room, but she knew her presence was needed here. Her advocacy for the staff and patients was important. Lexa looked at her with an encouraging smile. “As much as I love being in the operating room, I feel that my unique perspective is needed here. I know what we need on the floor. I know what we need to not just keep the hospital going day to day, but to thrive.” 

“And what say you about the staff? Do you think they would be able to handle things if they had new equipment?” Jaha went to interject again, but Lexa threw her hand up to silence him. “Let her speak,” she demanded without even looking in his direction. 

Clarke glanced toward her mother and the other two board members, but continued, “I think we should focus on hiring new staff. The nurses and doctors are stretched thin. Even if we had new equipment we would still be stretched thin. We simply do not have enough people to spend the time with each patient that they need. We are talking about peoples lives here. It isn’t about efficiency and how many patients we can get through. It is about quality. Making sure we are saving lives. Healing people.” Abby offered Clarke a proud smile and a nod signaling her support. 

“Well said,” Lexa complimented. “This hospital services people from an area of the city that is often written off and ignored. They don’t deserve to be written off by the people caring for them. If new staff is what it takes to have quality healthcare for our patients, then that is where we will start.” Jaha fell back in his seat and rolled his eyes. Lexa ignored him. “Let me worry about the council.” Here Lexa pointedly looked at Titus who shrunk into his seat. “I’m not worried about being profitable. That will come. I am worried about getting it right.” She paused to look at Clarke for approval. It was given in the form of a smile and a nod. “Let’s take a short recess and get our heads on straight. We will hash out the details when we return.” 

..........

Lexa exited the conference room and was immediately able to breathe better. You could cut the tension between Trikru and Jaha with a knife. Lexa had an uneasy feeling about him. They had not found a reason to get rid of him, however, so there was nothing she could do but tolerate his presence....which was proving more difficult with each passing meeting. As much as Jaha irritated her, the real reason she had called for a recess was to speak with Clarke. She hadn’t seen the blonde since the kidnapping, and she needed to make sure that Clarke was handling everything. Killing someone for the first time changes you, and Lexa didn’t want to think about a cold, world-hardened Clarke. Titus had pulled her to the side to discuss her tardiness, and Clarke had escaped the conference room before Lexa could catch her. She made a mental note to give Titus a bunch of meaningless tasks to complete as payback. 

The halls of the hospital were much brighter now that they had a fresh coat of paint on them. Lexa noticed that the patients and staff seemed to be a little happier than when she first visited. The place had been depressing before, so she could totally understand why no one had wore smiles on their faces. Even though the remodel wasn’t completely finished, the place already looked 100x brighter. It looked like a place to come for healing and rehabilitation instead of somewhere you would come to die. 

As she continued her journey through the hospital, keeping her eye open for a certain blonde, she admired the decor and architecture changes. Each staff member met was greeted with her best, friendly grin to which they all responded with their own shy smile before ducking out of her way. She was beginning to think that the youngest Griffin had disappeared when she finally spotted her gazing into a window. Lexa’s heart grew three sizes and a warm feeling spread through her body as she realized what the doctor was observing. 

Beyond the glass window that Dr. Griffin was looking through was the brand new children’s room. It had been the first thing that Lexa had commissioned from the contractor. The hospital didn’t have any sort of wing or playroom for children when Trikru had taken over. She had to remedy that. She came to a stop beside Clarke who was grinning from ear to ear as she watched the children play. Lexa stuck her hands in her pockets and before she knew it a wide grin had spread over her face, too.

“This is my favorite thing you have done so far,” Clarke said. The grin on her face never left as she looked at the CEO before her. “I come here when I am stressed out. It reminds me to not take things so seriously.”

Lexa nodded her head in a knowing manner and responded, “It’s easy to forget how simple life was when we were children. I wanted them to have a safe place where they could forget about their troubles and being sick and just be kids.” They stood and watched the children play for a few more minutes before Lexa couldn’t handle it anymore. “How are you doing?” she blurted out. Clarke tilted her head to the side in confusion at the little outburst. “With everything, I mean...um...I know this isn’t easy. I wanted to make sure you didn’t need anything.”

Clarke giggled a little. It was cute to see this usually eloquent businesswoman stumble over her words. “I’m okay. I had my doubts and worries at first, but I think you have proven that you have the hospitals best interests at heart. So yeah, I’m okay.”

“Really?” Lexa asked. 

She looked at Clarke with nothing but sincerity and was that...worry? Suddenly, Clarke felt like Lexa wasn’t just talking about the hospital or the acquisition. She thought back over the last couple of days and the ordeal she had been through, but there was no way Lexa could know about that. Those eyes and that look. Clarke had never noticed just how green Lexa’s eyes were before. Clarke suddenly felt like she had seen them somewhere, but not on Lexa. She realized that she was staring. “Um, yeah,” she managed to get out. “Yeah, really.”

Lexa seemed satisfied with the pitiful response though the worried look didn’t quite leave her eyes. “If you ever need anything, Clarke, you can always come to me. I’ll help in any way I can.” 

Clarke didn’t know what to say. She was stunned. Lexa started to look self-conscious and Clarke noticed her begin to turn away. Clarke reached out and grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her. “Thank you,” she said as her hand landed on the CEO. Lexa froze and Clarke watched a pained grimace cross her face. It was brief, and Lexa schooled her face so fast that Clarke almost doubted if she’d seen it. 

“You’re welcome,” Lexa sighed out as if she had been holding her breath. Clarke noticed that her eyes had misted over a little. 

“Are you okay? Is there something wrong with your shoulder?” Clarke said as concern colored her voice. 

Lexa was panicking inside, but she never let it show. She let a cool smile slide onto her face. “I’m fine. I pulled a muscle boxing. Sometimes, I get too cocky.”

“Are you sure? I could take a look,” Clarke offered.

“I promise I’m fine,” Lexa said waving Clarke's concern away. She glanced at her expensive watch. “We should probably head back before Titus and Jaha have an aneurysm.” With that Lexa rushed away leaving Clarke staring after her. As she watched Lexa retreat, Clarke realized that the Commander’s wound had been on the same shoulder. Suddenly, she was hyper-aware of where she had seen eyes that color before. It had to be a coincidence....right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. just because Clarke noticed these similarities between Lexa and the Commander doesn't mean she thinks that Lexa is the Commander. She really is going to think it is a coincidence for now. It is still going to be a little while before she finds out, but she might just be a little more observant and suspicious after that. ;) 
> 
> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend. I went zombie paintball hunting which was fantastic. As always, thanks for reading and your continued enthusiasm! Leave a kudo, tell a friend, drop a comment, or all of the above! :) Stay awesome everyone!

Chapter 24

It had been approximately three weeks since the night that would forever live in Clarke’s nightmares. She had been keeping herself busy to distract herself from thinking of the horrific events. It was The Griffin Way to suppress emotions and plow through difficult situations which is exactly what Clarke had been doing. She didn’t want to think about Quint Black’s stale breath on her face, the way the ropes had cut into her wrist when she was tied to the chair, or the way it had felt to watch Black slump over lifeless. If she was being honest, more than any of those things, she didn’t want to think about the Commander or the kiss they had shared or the way she felt like she had lost something that she never really had. No, she couldn’t have those things on her mind and function the way she needed to, so she did what she did best. Work. 

Her hours at the hospital had almost tripled. It wasn’t like there was a lack of things to do. When she wasn’t planning the agenda for a meeting with Trikru, she was overseeing one project or another around the hospital’s halls. What time she didn’t spend on agendas and improvement projects, she spent in the operating room saving lives. Dr. Clarke Griffin was a busy lady. Her colleagues had begun to stress their concerns with her hours, but she had brushed them off saying that there was no time to rest when there was work to be done. Today was no exception. She had already oversaw the orientation of the new nurses hired by Trikru, covered for Wells in the emergency room for a few hours, and performed two surgeries (they were minor but still). She was sat at her desk filling out paper work when there was a knock at the door. 

“Come in,” she called. 

The door opened and the elder Dr. Griffin entered the room. “Hello, darling. How is your day going?” Abby asked in a sickeningly sweet voice. 

Clarke sighed internally. Abby rarely came to her office, and she only used that voice when she wanted something. Clarke knew that whatever it was, she probably wasn’t going to like it. “Hi, Mom. It’s going okay. Busy busy busy. You know the drill.”

“Ah yes. That’s actually one of the reasons I’m here. Some of the other staff have expressed concerns about how many hours you’re keeping. They are afraid you aren’t getting enough personal time.”

“I have a lot to do. It takes a lot of time,” Clarke replied without looking up from her paperwork. 

“That’s no reason to run yourself into the ground, Clarke. You look tired. You know that as a physician you have to take time to rest in order to do the job properly. A tired surgeon makes mistakes,” Abby reprimanded repeating the phrase that she had drilled into Clarke since she had decided to be a doctor.

Clarke finally met her mother’s eyes with an irritated look, spitting back, “You don’t need to tell me how to do my job like I’m some rookie starting residency. I know my limits.”

Abby knew she had crossed a line. She softened and tried a different approach, “Is something going on that you need to talk about?” Abby walked over to her daughter’s desk and placed a hand lovingly over the younger doctor’s hand. She knew that her daughter had a tendency to throw herself into work when she was avoiding something. “You know you can always talk to me,” she added.

Clarke let her anger subside. She knew that this was her mother’s way of showing concern. “I know, but I’m fine. If it will make you and the others around here feel better, I’ll cut back some. Okay?” she sighed dropping her mother’s eye contact and going back to her task. 

Abby frowned, “Okay.” Clarke was stubborn, and Abby knew that if she didn’t want to talk, she wouldn’t. 

“Was there anything else?”

“Yes, actually,” Abby answered as she pulled two fancy envelopes from her jacket pocket and held them up for Clarke to see. Clarke gave her a confused look. “These are tickets to the annual Trikru Anniversary Ball. Everyone who is anyone in the business world will be in attendance. Since we are now a part of Trikru and this is a celebration of its birth and success.........”

Clarke let out a loud frustrated groan and covered her face with her hands like a pouty toddler. “I’m guessing I have to go,” she whined. 

“Oh, Clarke, don’t be so dramatic. We all have to go. Besides, I thought you were starting to warm to Lexa and Trikru. You sure seem fine in the meetings we have to attend.” Abby was telling the truth. Ever since the meeting where Lexa had sided with Clarke and put Jaha in his place, the negative tension between her and the young CEO had become less and less. Lexa always asked for Clarke’s opinions and respected her when she spoke. She didn’t allow the board members to talk over Clarke, and she usually went along with whatever suggestions the young doctor made. Clarke never missed the CEO’s warm little smile that was directed at her whenever the doctor silenced Jaha or made an astute observation. Every time she earned a look of approval from the dark-haired girl, her chest would fill with pride. However, as friendly as Lexa had started to become, she was still aloof and mysterious. They hadn’t had a one on one conversation since the one outside of the children’s ward. Lexa was always the last person to arrive at any meeting and usually excused herself before its conclusion. Clarke couldn’t help but feel like she was trying to avoid her. 

“So I don’t hate her,” Clarke retorted. “That doesn’t mean I want to go to some fancy ball and pretend to like people with which I have nothing in common. You know how I am at these things.”

“Well you are just going to have to suck it up,” Abby said with finality as she placed the tickets on Clarke’s desk. “If it makes you feel better, the other ticket is for a guest. You get to take someone you know so you won’t be alone.” 

“But what about the hospital. I’ll need to be here to keep things running smoothly,” Clarke tried. 

Abby smiled wryly, “With all the new help Trikru has hired, we won’t be short staffed for once. There won’t be an issue. The ball is next weekend.”

“Next weekend! How am I supposed to sort everything before then?!”

Abby laughed as she took her leave, “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

……….

“Are you absolutely sure?” Lexa asked as she gave Gustus a serious look. She had read the papers in front of her again and again, and she was still shocked by their contents. 

“I triple checked everything,” Gustus confirmed in his deep baritone. “I couldn’t believe it either. He has been deceiving them for years.”

“The man is a snake,” Lexa sighed as she rubbed her hands over her face. This whole situation was giving her a migraine. 

“What do you want to do?” Gustus asked. 

“Well he has to go, obviously,” Lexa sighed. “What a mess.”

“Should I prepare something for our meeting tomorrow?”

Lexa thought for a moment. “No. The ball is coming up soon. It’s a time for celebration. I don’t want this dark cloud hovering over their heads. We will wait until after the event. We can survive one more week.” Gustus simply nodded his head and began gathering his papers. 

Once Gustus left, Lexa huffed and slumped down into her chair. She was exhausted. She had spent all morning rushing from one meeting to the next, and now this. Sometimes she wondered if all the stress of being a CEO was worth the benefits. At least as the Commander, she could solve her problems with her fists. Her eyes wandered over to the bottle of Macallan that she kept for special occasions. Being a little buzzed might help her survive the rest of the day. She was half way through pouring a glass when the phone on her desk rang. “Uuuuuugggghhh,” she groaned as she walked over to look at the caller-ID. After seeing that it was her assistant, she pushed a button and answered, “Go ahead.”

“Sorry to bother you, Ms. Woods. I know it has been a hectic day, but there is a Detective Indra from Polis P.D. here to see you. She says it’s urgent,” came her secretary’s voice. 

This was a surprise. Lexa worried her lip. Since taking on the vigilante façade, Indra only contacted Lexa when absolutely necessary, and she never EVER came to her office. There must be something majorly wrong for the detective to show up unannounced. “That’s okay. Go ahead and send her in,” Lexa instructed. 

“Right away, ma’am.” 

Lexa squared her shoulders and straightened her suit while she waited for the shrewd detective to enter. The door opened to reveal a grimacing Indra with two file folders in her hands. The look on her face immediately made Lexa feel sheepish. She gulped. “Indra,” she greeted nervously, “What a pleasant surprise. Care for a glass of scotch? I was just about to have one to calm…..”

“I think you know I’m not here for pleasantries,” Indra interrupted sharply as she tossed the file folders onto Lexa’s desk. “Look at the green one first.” Indra was all business. Lexa opened the green folder to reveal photos of a dead Black and his men along with a lengthy report. “You have got to be more careful, Lexa. I can’t keep covering up for you. My new partner, Octavia, is out for blood, and she’s caught your scent. It’s a miracle I was able to come here without her.”

“What are you talking about?” Lexa asked genuinely confused. “Anya and I went back and swept this place clean. There’s no way she was able to find something that would connect The Commander to this.” 

“She doesn’t need physical evidence. The killing patterns are the same. Who else do you know that goes around killing criminals with a sword?” 

“What you’re saying is she doesn’t have any actual evidence. Just her gut feeling and opinion,” Lexa said coolly, realizing that this was a warning. 

“She doesn’t have any real evidence, yet,” Indra said sternly. “But with body counts like this….it’s only a matter of time. You have been killing more than usual. Why?”

“I’m doing what I have to do to survive,” Lexa replied. 

“By killing people?!” 

“It was them or me! You know that I spare lives when I can, but sometimes it is necessary.”

“There is always another way,” Indra nailed her with a hard stare and Lexa knew to let it go. She put her hands up as a sign of surrender. Indra softened minimally. She had a strange look on her face and stood silent for a moment. Finally, she added, “A person’s soul can only live with so much. Good intentions or not. I don’t want to see you become a monster, Lexa.” 

Lexa inhaled with the shock of the statement. Her jaw flexed as she mulled over Indra’s words. The sentiment from the Detective was unexpected, but Lexa recognized it as love and concern. She dropped her eyes and nodded her head. “I’ll do better,” she muttered softly.

Indra was satisfied and backed off. She took a more relaxed stance and began again, “I know I have just given you a lecture, and as much as it pains me to say this….” 

Lexa’s eyes shot up to Indra’s full of curiosity. A wry, victorious smile spread across her face. “You need my help,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. 

Agitation rolled off of Indra in waves that Lexa thought she might just be able to touch. The darker woman rolled her eyes so hard that Lexa thought they might roll right out of her head. She huffed with annoyance and continued, “Yes. I need your help.” She pointed to the other folder on the CEO’s desk. Inside the folder were gruesome pictures of victims with bite marks, crazed or dead men with blood running down their chins, and horrendous scenes that looked like they were straight from a slasher movie. Lexa’s stomach turned over at the images. “Remember the men that you stopped in the alley several weeks ago? The cannibals?” Lexa nodded and continued to peruse the pictures. “Well it wasn’t an isolated incident. There have been at least 8 instances of these types of attacks. We believe, actually we know, that the offenders are taking some sort of drug, but the toxicology report didn’t reveal anything that we have seen before. Their actions mirror that of someone who has taken a mixture of cocaine and synthetic cathinones or as the people on the street might call it “bath salts.” The chemical compounds found in their blood doesn’t match either substance exactly.”

“It’s a new drug,” Lexa deduced. 

“Precisely. We are doing everything we can to find the source and nail this down, but people either don’t know anything or they are too scared to talk to the police. All of our offenders are either dead, incapacitated, or refuse to speak. Add that to all the red tape and it is pretty hard to get anywhere fast.” 

“The Commander can go places that you can’t,” Lexa said putting the pieces together. 

“I’m hoping that you can uncover some things that we haven’t been able to. If this thing gets loose on the streets…..”

“It’ll be chaos.”

“I’m afraid so,” Indra agreed solemnly. “Another thing holding us back is the randomness of it all. None of our victims or offenders are tied to one another in any way. Most of the offenders have zero or minor charges on their records and only two of them had drug related charges. The victims are completely random. We think they just attack whoever they come across after taking the drug.”

“Curiouser and curiouser,” Lexa mumbled, brows knitted together in concentration, “I’ll look into it.”

Indra nodded, “Hopefully, you’ll have better luck. I should get going.” Indra swiftly turned on her heel and marched over to the exit. Before opening the door, she turned to the CEO and said earnestly, “Please be careful.” They made eye contact for a brief moment and Lexa could see the affection that Indra held for her even if she did disagree with her nighttime activities. 

“I always am,” Lexa replied reassuringly with a small smile. With that, Indra was gone. 

………..

Clarke walked into the aging but well-kept gym that was a few blocks away from her apartment. Exercise machines were sat in neat, accessible rows at the front of the building. Punching bags hung from the ceiling off to the side of the large main room. The labored noises of meat heads lifting weights came from a room located at the far side of the gym with a sign labeled “The Dungeon” hanging over the entrance. At the very back of the building was a regulation boxing ring with two people battling it out. 

As Clarke approached the ring, the two fighters continued their duel. The taller, darker fighter had his opponent in a headlock. The smaller opponent was struggling ferociously. He finally landed a punch into the taller fighter’s side that made him release his hold. The taller fighter quickly recovered and went into a defensive stance as his opponent came at him. They swapped punches and blocked blows for several more minutes until finally the taller fighter caught his opponent with a swift uppercut to the chin and knocked him flat on his butt.

“Woooooooooo!” Clarke yelled from the side of the ring. “Finally someone who can knock Bellamy on his ass!”

The fighters’ heads shot up and both smiled as they spit out their mouth guards. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Bellamy replied as he took the offered hand to help him up. “Keep it up. You’re gonna be on your butt in a minute. That was a mean upper cut, Linc. You’ve been practicing.”

“I have to stay on my toes dating your sister,” Lincoln answered. “Hey Clarke! Long time, no see! I never see you when we come to Ark.” Lincoln was an EMT, and a damn good one, too. 

“Too long!” Clarke yelled back up to him. “I’ve missed your handsome face! Is Octavia as much trouble as she’s always been?” 

“And getting more troublesome,” Lincoln grinned. The guys moved to the edge of the ring and hopped out. “Speaking of, I should probably get going. It’s date night.” Lincoln winked at Clarke.

“Definitely don’t want to keep O waiting,” Bellamy laughed, knowing how impatient his little sister could be. Lincoln left them with a hug for Clarke and a high five for Bellamy. “See you Saturday!” he called after the EMT who waved his agreement. He then turned to Clarke with a wide grin, “Ready for your session?”

Bellamy had been on the wrestling team in high school and joined the Marines as soon as he graduated. There he picked up what he knew about boxing. When he came back from the military, he had been restless and unhappy, so Octavia had helped him purchase the building that was now Blake Boxing and Fitness. Having a business to run and staying active had seemed to do the trick. Bellamy escaped his doldrums and quickly became one of the best boxing instructors in Polis. 

After everything that happened with Quint Black, Clarke had decided that she needed to better learn how to defend herself. Obviously the few defense classes she had taken weren’t enough to help. She had decided to ask Bellamy to train her, and she had been diligently working hard for the past several weeks since the incident. She was turning out to be a really solid fighter. As an added bonus, the training gave her brain one more thing to focus on besides her nightmares. “Of course I am,” Clarke confirmed, “but I need to ask a favor of you first.” She grinned up at him with her best imploring look. 

He eyed her suspiciously before asking, “Why do I think I’m going to hate whatever it is?”

“Weeeeeellllll……”

“Well go on. Out with it.”

“See, I have to go to this ball…..”

“Absolutely not,” he said as soon as the word ball left her mouth. 

“You didn’t even let me ask the question!” Clarke argued. 

“That’s because I already know the answer.”

“Bellamy pleeeeeaaasssee. I don’t want to go either and I’m not going to know a lot of people. It would just be nice to have a friend come along. I’ll buy you a pizza and that craft beer you like….pleeeaaassseee,” she pleaded. 

Bellamy eyed her again and took a second to think. He finally sighed and let out a “Fine I’ll go.”

“I knew you couldn’t resist pizza and beer,” Clarke grinned triumphantly as they started walking toward the locker rooms. 

“Bribery will get you everywhere,” he chuckled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
>  Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Tuesday everyone! Sorry this update is a day late. We had our Halloween festivities at work, and I didn't get a chance to update. We were Angry Birds! So yeah, I may not have next weeks update on time either because I have been building Angry Bird sets and we have a few deadlines coming up. Just hang in there with me! Also, I got several comments worried about Bellarke in this story. Guys. Come on. This is a Clexa fic. I don't even like Bellamy as a character, and I sure as hell wouldn't be able to do justice to a straight relationship (cuz you know....big ole gay over here). Anyways, don't worry about Bellarke in this fic. Clarke and Bellamy are just friends. Bellamy probably won't even play a major role in this fic because I dislike his character that much (no offense Bellamy lovers).

Chapter 25

  
Lexa leaned down to touch her toes before returning to full height and stretching her arms over her head. She rolled her head around on her shoulders to loosen her neck muscles. This is what she needed. Her blood seemed to flow faster and hotter with the anticipation of the fight. The taught muscles weaved over her entire frame were limber and ready. The stress of the day melted away as she focused her energy.

  
“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Anya asked as she strutted onto the sparring mat clad in a black Nike sports bra and matching yoga pants. She pointed to the healing arrow wound on Lexa’s shoulder when she was met with a look of confusion.

  
Lexa rolled the shoulder and spun her arm around in a windmill motion, testing its flexibility. Anya didn’t miss the grimace that the younger girl attempted to hide. “It’ll be fine. Nyko says it is healing well. I can’t neglect my training. It’s just sword fighting. This isn’t even my good arm,” Lexa reasoned. She wasn’t going to let her mentor back out now. The frustrating woman had already kept her from patrols for the past few weeks.

  
“You are so stubborn,” Anya sighed as Lexa tossed her a sparring sword. She snatched it from the air easily.

  
Lexa walked to the center of the mat and waited for her opponent to meet her. “It’s why I’m so good at what I do,” she stated. Anya approached, and they stood straight staring into the others eyes. They bowed slightly to each other. “Maybe you’ll actually win this round,” Lexa smirked as she turned and walked toward her corner.

  
“Someone’s awful cocky,” Anya taunted as she sauntered to her corner.

  
“I can back it up,” Lexa challenged.

  
Instead of taunting her opponent again, Anya charged. Lexa hadn’t quite gotten into fighting stance, so the move threw her off. She sloppily blocked Anya’s first blow, but it came down hard and knocked her off balance. She barely regained her footing before Anya was bringing another blow down on her. Instincts took over telling her to swing out and parry the violent strike. The impact made Anya take a few steps back giving Lexa time to recover somewhat. She sunk down into a defensive stance and put her sword up ready for the next round of attacks. Anya smirked and circled around her like a predator searching for the correct time to pounce. She danced forward with a stab to Lexa’s stomach. This time, Lexa was ready and parried expertly. She spun her sword around Anya’s, expecting the older woman to lose her grip on her weapon. She didn’t, but her arm was knocked to the side leaving her open. Lexa struck, but Anya ducked to the side causing the young fighter to miss. Anya quickly twirled behind Lexa’s back and struck her in her bad shoulder. Lexa cried out and faced her furiously. Anya used the force of the turn to her advantage. As Lexa turned, Anya got ready to strike her sword hand. The sword flew from Lexa’s hand and Anya pressed the tip of her sword into the soft part of Lexa’s neck. “Dead,” she stated nonchalantly.

  
“You cheated!” Lexa howled with fury, gripping her aching shoulder.

  
“Find your enemy’s weakness. Exploit it,” Anya stated in her instructor voice.

  
Lexa growled out in frustration as she picked up her sword and readied herself. “Again,” she demanded.

  
Anya rolled her eyes, but took up her stance none-the-less. This time Lexa was the first to strike. She brought her blade down hard and knocked Anya back as she blocked. Lexa set a hard pace raining blow after blow onto her mentor. Anya parried each one, but never found a window to strike back. Lexa had backed her into the wall. She raised her blade to finish the fight, but Anya caught the blade with her own. They struggled against each other both pouring all their strength into forcing the other’s hand. “That’s much better,” Anya complimented with a smirk before she gathered all of her strength and threw Lexa backwards. Lexa only stumbled back a few feet, but she did not lose her footing. It was Anya’s turn to be on the offensive. They began their dance again.

  
…………….

  
The girls were so distracted with fighting each other that they didn’t hear the door to the secret sanctum open and close. Raven Reyes walked over to the computer table and dropped her bag onto its surface with a heavy thud. She had heard the sounds of clashing metal and struggling grunts coming from the other side of the room. Her eyes wandered over to where the two girls struggled with one another. Raven couldn’t help but gawk at the sight with which she was greeted. There was Lexa in her coordinated red and black workout gear, and Raven couldn’t deny that she was hot. What really caught the brunette’s attention was a half-naked Anya. She was glorious. She was all muscle and smooth skin. Her movements were graceful and precise. Raven didn’t think that she had ever seen a more beautiful sight. She picked her jaw up off the floor and wiped the drool from her chin. _I’ll give myself just a few more minutes to observe, she thought, they seem really into the fight. It would be rude to interrupt._

  
When Anya looked like she had pinned Lexa, a loud catcall went out across the room. Raven realized it had come from her as the girls’ heads snapped up to see who had intruded. Instead of getting embarrassed, Raven decided to roll with her Reyes swag and just piped up with, “If I had known I could see two hot mamacitas battle it out, I would have come back a lot sooner.” Raven watched a wide grin spread across Anya’s face, and a warm feeling spread through her belly.

  
Lexa took her opportunity to strike. In one swift move, she had disarmed Anya and put her on her back. She held her sword point into the soft part of Anya’s throat who looked up at her in dazed surprise. “Find your enemy’s weakness. Exploit it,” Lexa echoed Anya’s earlier words and winked as she tossed her sword to the side. Anya’s face lit up with embarrassment. Lexa left her on the mat and sauntered over to where Raven was standing. “It’s good to have you back. How are you feeling?” Lexa asked the snickering brunette.

  
“A lot better than her at the moment,” Raven answered. Anya stormed past them, brooding. Raven caught her eye. “I think you totally had her. Sorry I distracted you,” she said with an apologetic smile.

  
“She’ll be fine. She just hurt her pride a little bit,” Lexa said with a haughty grin on her face.

  
“Its fine,” Anya retorted. “We’ll see who rescues the two of you the next time you’ve gotten yourself into a mess.”

  
Lexa simply giggled in return, but Raven looked genuinely concerned. Seeing the look and sensing Raven’s worry, Lexa reassured her with a wink and a grin, “Don’t worry. She’s just a sore loser.”

  
Raven couldn’t help but return the grin. “So what kind of trouble have you two been getting into while I was out of commission?”

  
“Not much actually,” Lexa admitted. “I’ve been out of commission too.” She pointed to the angry looking arrow wound on her shoulder. It was healing nicely, but it would leave a pretty nasty scar. Oh well, what’s one more? Chicks dig scars, right? “However,” she continued, “you’ve come back just in time. A good friend of mine from Polis P.D. paid me a visit and turned me on to a case they have been working for several weeks.” Lexa tossed the file folder that Indra had provided for her onto the computer desk.

  
Raven let out a long, low whistle as she glanced through the pictures. “These are pretty gruesome,” she said as she passed the file over to Anya who had joined them. Lexa missed the look they shared as Anya’s fingers brushed across Raven’s.

  
“Detective Indra says that the offenders seem to be on some type of drug. The toxicology report is in the file. They display the same type of behaviors as people who have taken bath salts or cocaine. They’re aggressive, uncontrollable, show signs of unnatural strength, and attack anyone they see. Perhaps the worst and strangest side effect is cannibalism. The police haven’t had any good leads, and they are hoping that the Commander might have better luck on the streets.”

  
“So Indra finally admitted that there is a benefit to the Commander,” Anya said slyly.

  
“I think it physically pained her,” Lexa said with her own smirk.

  
“I’ve seen compounds like this before,” Raven had been totally engrossed in the toxicology report.

  
“What do you mean? You know what drug this is?” Lexa questioned.

  
“Not exactly. I’ve seen a compound like this, but the formula was slightly different,” Raven mused as she tried to place where she had seen these chemicals before. Lexa watched the brilliant Latina as she went through her thought process. She noticed a certain tall, side-kick watching her, too. She made sure to catch Anya’s eye so she could smirk knowingly at her. Anya flipped her the bird. Raven noticed nothing. “Ah ha!” she exclaimed as she remembered what the report reminded her of. “I used to get this underground science newsletter when I was in college. It was for people who were interested in the…..less legal…side of science. It was super top secret. You had to be a pretty advanced hacker to even read it. The newsletter was always encrypted. Anyway, there were several articles about a company that was creating a muscle regeneration serum. It was a secret project, but one of the researchers leaked the story to this newsletter.”

  
“You received an illegal science newsletter when you were in college?” Anya asked incredulously.

  
Raven peeked over at her with a mischievous grin and admitted, “Let’s just say…I haven’t always walked the straight and narrow.” Raven turned back to the report and continued her story.

  
“Hot,” Lexa heard Anya mutter under her breathe.

  
“They were testing the serum on humans without going through the proper channels. It was unethical not to mention dangerous, but I guess if you lose the ability to walk you would do anything to get it back,” Raven continued.

  
“Did they display these symptoms? Did the serum work?” Lexa prodded.

  
“The last article I read said they had mild success. The serum would work for a few days. The participants in the study saw muscle regrowth up to 10x their original muscle mass, but when the serum wore off, they would deteriorate even faster. Not to mention, it was extremely addictive. They lost several patients from the withdrawals alone. But as far as behavior while on the drug, it is hauntingly similar. The patients testing the drug were so violent that they had to be locked in cages until it wore off.”

  
“What happened? Why did they stop?” asked Lexa.

  
“They had to. Some big wigs caught wind of their experiments and shut them down. The articles featured the chemical compounds found in the serum, though. While this compound isn’t exactly the same, it’s damn near close.”

  
“You think it could be the same people? What was the company’s name?”

  
“Possibly. They could be trying to perfect the serum. Make it actually work. Looks like they’ve made a drug that creates monsters instead, though. I can’t remember the company name. It started with an M or had something to do with climate,” Raven racked her brain for the name.

  
“Mount Weather Corporation?” Lexa guessed with surprise.

  
“That’s it!” Raven exclaimed. “How’d you know?”

  
“Well they aren’t shut down. They are one of the biggest medical research facilities in the state. My company has worked with them on several projects. They have been known to do some things under the table. Their head researcher is a creep. Cage Wallace. You think they could be behind this?”

  
“That I couldn’t say for sure. Could be them. Could be a copycat. Could be unrelated. I stopped getting the newsletter a long time ago. I can look into some things if you want.”

  
Lexa nodded her head, “Looks like we have a lead.”

  
Raven smirked, “Told you I would be useful.”

  
“Let’s not get too cocky,” Lexa replied with a smile.

  
……………

  
“Thanks for coming along for this,” Octavia said as Clarke zipped the dress she was trying on. It was a gorgeous maroon number with a deep V-neck that showed just the right amount of cleavage without being too much. The dress was long, but it had a slit that showed the detectives toned legs. Clarke thought Octavia was stunning. The color made her chestnut locks stand out and her intense eyes pop.

  
“No need to thank me,” Clarke replied. “I had to find a dress, too. I’m just glad that I’m going to know one more person at this ball. You know how much I hate these stuffy events.” They both took a look at the gown in the mirror and gasped lightly. “I think this is definitely the one,” Clarke breathed. “Lincoln won’t be able to keep his hands off of you.”

  
“You think?” Octavia asked as she turned this way and that to look at herself at different angles. Clarke could tell that she liked what she saw.

  
“MMMHMMM,” Clarke said as she waggled her eyebrows.

  
“Shut up,” Octavia giggled. She took a few more seconds to look at herself before deciding that this was the one. “I’m not too thrilled at having to go either. Indra says we have to represent the police department since Trikru donates so much money to us.” Octavia looked at Clarke and rolled her eyes while making a gagging motion.

  
Clarke giggled at her friend’s antics. “Trikru isn’t that bad. They have actually helped us quite a bit. Much to my surprise. Lexa is nice.”

  
“Wait,” Octavia said as she dramatically held up her hand to halt Clarke. “I thought we hated Trikru and Lexa.”

  
“Weeelllll,” Clarke dragged, “I may have jumped the gun with the whole hate bit. Lexa has been really understanding, and Ark is making some great improvements thanks to them. I thought they were just going to come in and take over, you know?”

  
“So you’re telling me that Ms. Party Girl CEO is……nice and understanding?” Octavia asked in disbelief.

  
“I don’t think she does those things anymore,” Clarke said. “We all have our party days. Hers just happened to take place on camera.”

  
“Woooooooow,” Octavia sighed. “Well I guess that means I was extra rude to her for no reason.”

  
“What do you mean?” Clarke asked confused. “You know Lexa?”

  
“No, but Indra does. She came to see her at the precinct. I kinda gave her the third degree,” Octavia said with a self-satisfied smirk. Clarke rolled her eyes to which Octavia shrugged, “I thought we were supposed to hate her.”

  
“You’re impossible,” Clarke laughed. “Speaking of the precinct, how’s the promotion to detective going?”

  
“It’s great,” Octavia said with that faraway look in her eye. Clarke knew that Octavia loved her job and becoming a detective was her dream come true. “I’m learning so much from Indra. She’s the best you know. It’s just…..” Clarke looked at Octavia curiously, waiting for her to continue. Octavia screwed her face up, “We have worked a few strange cases that I think are connected to the Commander, but every time I say something Indra just blows it off. Sometimes I wonder if she is trying to protect her.”

  
Clarke’s heart jumped when Octavia mentioned the Commander. She had tried her hardest not to think about the brooding vigilante with the emerald eyes, but sometimes her lips still tingled from where they had shared their first, and probably only, kiss. Her heart sank at the thought that she would never kiss the woman again, but she schooled her expression in front of Octavia. “Why would she need to protect the Commander?” Clarke asked innocently.

  
“Because she doesn’t want her to be arrested,” Octavia said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

  
Clarke looked at Octavia in shock. “Why would you want to arrest the Commander?!” she exclaimed.

  
“She’s a criminal, Clarke. She kills people. She takes the law into her own hands. Can you imagine the chaos that would erupt in the city if others did the same?” Octavia said seriously.

  
“She helps people! She saves people!” Clarke’s voice was rising. She couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

  
“That doesn’t justify murder, Clarke.”

  
“She saved me! More than once! Do you think those bad guys deserve to live? She’s a hero!” Clarke said with conviction.

  
Octavia did not budge. “That doesn’t mean that she gets to play judge and jury and sometimes executioner. Bad or not, they are people. What do you mean she has saved you more than once? Do you know who the Commander is?”

  
“It’s a long story, but no. I don’t know who she is,” Clarke said sharply. _Even if I did, I sure as hell wouldn’t tell you,_ she thought.

  
Octavia realized that Clarke was shutting down. She didn’t want to argue with the doctor. “I am an officer of the law. It is my job to uphold it. I can’t make exceptions. Even for someone with good intentions,” Octavia said sternly. She then clenched her jaw and turned toward the dressing room to put her normal clothes back on. That was the end of the discussion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
> Instagram: akasey47 (check out pics of my Brett Michaels Halloween costume!)
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up guys?! Happy Monday! So, like I predicted, we have been swamped at work. We have several contracts that have December deadlines, so pretty much all my time is being spent working. This will probably go on for the months of November and December. Between that and the holidays I will go ahead and apologize for my updating schedule. It will not be as frequent as it has been. I won't make you wait two months, but I might not update every week either. Just hang in there with me until the new year and I will get back on schedule. I feel like I should also comment on the events of last week. I know with this election there are a lot of us who are afraid and uncertain of the future. I just want to let you all know that you are valuable and valid and loved. You are not alone. Never give up. You have a friend right here. Now, who's ready for The Ball Part 1?

Chapter 26

Clarke was putting the finishing touches on her look for the evening. A car was supposed to pick her and Bellamy up any minute to take them to The 35th Trikru Anniversary Ball. A few butterflies fluttered around in Clarke’s stomach. She always got nervous before big, fancy events. It wasn’t where she belonged. She belonged in an operating room, up to her elbows in blood and guts, saving lives, not pranced around in fancy dresses for stuffy people with money. One had to admit, though, that Dr. Clarke Griffin was a bombshell when she cleaned up. The mirror that she gazed into hardly did her justice. Her curves filled out her dress just right. Her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Her make-up was subtle, but made her features stand out. She was stunning. 

“CLARKE! I think the car is here!” Bellamy called as she heard two quick horn blows from the street outside. 

“Coming!” Clarke called back as she rushed around her room throwing essentials into the clutch that she was going to carry. 

Bellamy waited for her at the front door. He was dashing in his perfectly tailored tuxedo. His mop of dark, brown hair was messy but in a stylish way. Excitement glistened in his brown eyes even if he refused to admit that he wanted to attend the event. He grinned his puppy dog grin as he saw Clarke emerge from her bedroom. “You look absolutely amazing,” he complimented her. 

“Why, Mr. Blake, I was unaware that you were capable of such niceties,” Clarke teased. 

“I can make an exception for tonight,” he quickly rebutted. 

“Well thank you. You look rather handsome yourself. Maybe you’ll pick up a nice girl at the event,” Clarke said with a wink.

“That would be an unexpected but welcome outcome from tonight’s activities,” he smiled. An arm was offered for Clarke to take as Bellamy asked, “Shall we?”

“We shall,” Clarke said with a giggle as she took Bellamy’s arm. 

...........

Bellamy and Clarke had to pick their jaws up off the ground when they saw the car that waited for them on the street. A jet-black Rolls Royce Phantom awaited the young pair. “Oh my god,” Clarke uttered as she started to walk towards the car. It was shined to perfection, not a dent or ding in sight. The chrome wheels and accents glistened in the rays of the setting sun. A man dressed in a fancy chauffeur suit met them at the side of the vehicle. He opened the door with a dip of his head. Clarke noticed a tree symbol stitched onto the breast pocket of the man’s suit jacket. She had seen Lexa wear the same symbol as a pendant on a necklace several times. 

“Holy shit, Clarke,” Bellamy gasped as the rich smell of leather filled their noses and they were caressed by the soft seats. The same tree symbol had been hand-stitched into each head rest. Fibre optic lights were hand-fitted into the roof-lining making it look like a magical, star-filled night sky. The tree symbol popped up again as an inlay in the smooth, walnut veneers that ran from the front of the car to its rear. 

Clarke ran her hands along the sophisticated interior. She had never seen a car so fancy much less rode in one. “This car must cost a fortune,” she breathed. They had started to drive toward their destination. It felt like they were gliding instead of driving. 

“You’re boss really knows how to go all out,” Bellamy muttered still in awe. 

“She is something,” Clarke said as she continued to admire the car. It was no secret that Lexa liked luxury and with as much money as she had, she experienced no trouble obtaining it. Clarke had never seen her in anything but designer clothing that looked like it had been especially made for her. She guessed that Lexa only allowed the best in every aspect of her life. They didn’t talk much during the ride to the ball, both enjoying the lap of luxury in which they sat. 

After about 30 minutes the car pulled up in front of the Polis Grande Theatre. Clarke had not been surprised when she saw the location where the ball would be held. The Polis Grande Theatre was one of the oldest buildings in the city. The historical society meticulously cared for it and kept everything in mint condition. The building was breathtaking and elaborate. Clarke had only been inside a few times, but it was like stepping into another world. 

The car pulled up to the front of the building. A red carpet stretched from the front door out to the curb where the guests were dropped off. Paparazzi lined the sides of the walkway trying to get pictures of the prestigious attendees. Clarke felt like it was some sort of celebrity event where she didn’t belong. The driver had walked around the car and opened the door. Bellamy exited first and held out his hand for Clarke. She took it and allowed him to help her out of the beautiful vehicle. He held his arm out to her again which she took and they began their walk into the theatre as camera flashes went off all around them. 

................

Lexa casually peered down at the ballroom floor from the balcony were she was perched. These events had long ago lost their appeal for her. When she was younger, she had looked forward to balls. Her parents always dressed her in the finest clothes which was important to her even then, and her father would twirl her around the ballroom on the top of his shoes. When she got older, balls gave her another reason to dote on Costia. Buying her new jewelry, new dresses, twirling her around the dance floor before whisking her away to some fancy hotel room had been some of Lexa’s favorite things to do. Now, these balls and events felt more like an obligation. Those happy memories, like the people they involved, were dead and gone. She had made a round and greeted the shareholders, CEOs, and politicians that already filled the room talking animatedly with each other. Their facades irritated her. She knew that none of them cared about their peers accomplishments or victories. They weren’t interested in the stories being told to them by their “friends”. They were here for status. She downed the scotch that remained in her glass in one big gulp. It was her second of the evening. She was always a little more pleasant after having a few drinks. 

She sat the glass on a table before sighing and slumping onto the balcony’s edge. Most of the guests were already here. She spotted Indra and her partner, and made a mental note to go greet the detective duo. There was Gustus seriously listening to an animated representative from Azgeda Industries. Titus was schmoozing some big wig from Polis Consolidated. It was all so dull. That’s when she saw her. Lexa’s head snapped up as the angelic figure that had just entered started to descend the stairs down to the main room. 

Dr. Clarke Griffin was an immaculate sight to behold. The dress that she had chosen was strapless and lifted her breasts in a way that accentuated her cleavage. The bodice of the dress was white and clung to her sinfully. It continued down into a midnight-black, flowy skirt that made it seem as if the doctor was gliding instead of walking. White flowers started at her right hip and continued down the full length of the gown. Her golden hair cascaded down her shoulders in big waves. Someone had approached her and whispered something in her ear which made her toss her head back with laughter. Lexa imagined that it was the most heavenly sound to ever be uttered. This is where she remembered to breathe for the first time since Clarke had entered the room. In this moment, she knew that she would not be able to keep her distance from Clarke Griffin any longer. All those agonizing weeks of avoiding a real conversation and getting to know each other on a more friendly level were moot. There was no stopping her feelings for this girl. She was silly for ever trying. This feeling in her chest had only terrorized her one other time in life. This feeling was not a feeling that could be fought or avoided. It could not be remedied. She could already feel the invisible forces pulling her in the doctor’s direction. Then she saw the shaggy haired man on Clarke’s arm. 

..............

Clarke allowed Bellamy to escort her into the building and the main room. To be honest, she wasn’t quite used to walking in heels, and she held onto him out of fear of falling down the stairs. Miraculously, she had avoided falling and managed to make a graceful entrance. The theatre was breath-taking as usual. The ballroom was long and the tiled floor was so shiny that Clarke thought the glare might blind her. Fourteen large, crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling and illuminated the room. Tables with alternating black and red table clothes sat at the far end of the room where dinner would be served. Large, black and red silk banners donning the same tree symbol from the car were hung throughout the space. A dance floor was placed at the other end. The large room was already filled with ridiculously rich men and women in gorgeous suits and ball gowns. Musicians played classical music from a small stage to the right of the dance floor. Waiters in red and black tuxedos served the guests drinks and finger foods. The event was everything you would expect from an embarrassingly wealthy company. 

Clarke grabbed a glass of champagne from the tray of a passing waiter. Bellamy looked at her with a raised brow. “I need something to take the edge off,” she told him. 

“Understandable,” he grunted as he grabbed his own glass. 

“Clarke!” an excited voice came from behind. Clarke turned in time to see Octavia approaching with Lincoln in tow. The dress they had picked out was definitely the right choice. The detective looked gorgeous. Her and Lincoln looked like a Hollywood couple fresh off the red carpet. “You look stunning! You cleaned up nice, too, Bell,” the youngest Blake greeted. 

“Octavia,” Clarke said as they embraced. Their fight a few days ago had been all but forgotten. She released Octavia and reached for Lincoln. “And don’t you look dapper,” she said as she straightened his tie and he grinned from ear to ear. 

“Isn’t this place amazing?!” Octavia said excitedly. “I was skeptical about coming. I don’t usually like this sort of thing, but man your boss knows how to throw a party. Have you tried the ham and cheese croquettes? They are to die for.”

Clarke giggled, “No, we just got here, but I intend to eat everything before the night is over.” She wasn’t kidding. She could already feel her tummy grumbling. 

“I would also recommend the toasted ravioli,” Lincoln added in a faux-sophisticated voice. The group shared a laugh. 

A dark, serious looking woman approached Octavia and tapped her on the shoulder. “Oh! This is Indra my partner and mentor,” Octavia introduced. 

“It’s nice to meet you. Octavia has told me all about you,” Clarke said as she greeted the detective. “She says you are one of the best detectives in Polis P.D. history.”

“Well, I don’t know about that. I just do the best I can with what I have,” Indra replied. 

“She’s just being modest,” Octavia butted in with a roll of her eyes. “This is Dr. Clarke Griffin and my brother Bellamy.”

“It’s nice to meet all of you, but I actually came to steal Octavia away. I have some people I would like to introduce her to if that's okay?” Indra asked the young detective. 

“Sure,” Octavia grabbed Lincoln’s hand and started after Indra who was already walking away. “Enjoy the party guys! We will catch up later.”

Clarke and Bellamy waved as the trio walked away and were left standing awkwardly once again. “Well,” Bellamy sighed as he looked around, “Want to dance?”

.............

“Whoa, easy Commander,” came a snarky voice from behind, “you grip that glass any harder and you’ll crush it into powder.” Lexa looked at her hand and realized that her knuckles had turned white from the force with which she held her glass. After seeing Clarke with some shaggy-haired, macho man, she had decided she needed another drink. She had been watching shaggy-hair clumsily lead Clarke around the dance floor for the last fifteen minutes from her balcony. Clarke didn’t seem to mind how clumsy he was, because she was laughing heartily at every misstep. The longer Lexa watched, the more her blood boiled and the tighter her grip on her drink became. She quickly relaxed her grip and schooled her expression before turning around to face her side-kick.

“Well, look who decided to join the party,” Lexa replied. Anya had on a floor length black gown that showed previews of her long, toned legs as she walked. Her hair was down and framed her face. Her makeup was done in a way that made her look dangerous but sensual. “You look hot,” she added as she downed the rest of her drink. 

“Be still my heart,” Anya sighed dramatically. “No wonder you get all the girls. You are a modern day Shakespeare.” Lexa let out a half-hearted harrumph and turned back to observing the party. “What has you cooped up in this old balcony? Shouldn’t you be down there charming the skirt off some unsuspecting heiress?”

“I made my rounds,” Lexa gruffed. “I’m not feeling social tonight.” 

“Lexa Woods doesn’t feel social? I’ve never heard that before,” Anya continued to tease. She approached the balcony that Lexa leaned over to look out over the scene. 

“There is a first time for everything.”

“Ha!” Anya scoffed but she had spotted what had her usually charming partner hid away in the balcony by herself. “Ah, I see what has you up here pouting like a puppy that had its favorite toy taken away.”

“What are you talking about?” Lexa said nonchalantly. “I’m not pouting.” Anya simply pointed a long, slim finger out at the dance floor. “Psh, who cares what she does? That guy can’t even do a proper Waltz. And that silly, floppy hair. She obviously has poor taste.” 

“Right,” Anya said knowingly. “I guess its a good thing she’s not dating him then.”

Lexa perked up at that. Anya didn’t miss the sudden change. Lexa schooled a bored expression back onto her features as Anya smirked. “Who told you that?” 

“A little birdie. A little Raven to be exact,” Anya replied smoothly. “Apparently they are just friends. Clarke brought him because she didn’t want to come to the party alone.”

“Raven is here. Octavia and Clarke’s mother are here,” Lexa paused before adding a little quieter, “I’m here. She wouldn’t be alone.” Anya just shrugged noncommittally. Lexa noticed Clarke and her partner walk off the dance floor and toward the refreshment table. “There are some new guests that I haven’t had the chance to greet yet. I should get back down there,” Lexa tried to act casual as she started to leave.

“Mmmhmmm,” Anya muttered with satisfaction as she followed her out.

............

“You really need some dance lessons,” Clarke sniggered as Bellamy offered her a glass of punch from the refreshment table. 

“Yuck it up now, Griffin,” Bellamy said good-naturedly. “We’ll see who is laughing the next time we get in the boxing ring. I’ve never needed to know how to dance before tonight.”

“Everyone should know how to dance!” Clarke teased him more as she smiled brightly. 

“I’m glad to see you are enjoying the party,” came a sultry voice from behind Clarke. When she turned to see who had spoken she had to pause and catch her breath. There stood Lexa Woods in all of her glory. She was dressed in a black, perfectly tailored tuxedo. The jacket had a white shawl lapel and was fastened at the front with a gold chain. It hugged her arms, shoulders, and waist showing off her sculpted but feminine frame. Her white tuxedo shirt had several buttons undone revealing sun-kissed skin, bow-tie draped casually around her neck, untied. The tree symbol that Clarke figured must be the family crest had been made into golden cuff links and fastened the cuffs of her shirt, and a golden Schaffhausen adorned her wrist. Her pants seemed as though the tailor had sewn them right onto her body, a matching white stripe ran down the side of the leg. A pair of shiny, black, Louboutin stilettos completed her look. Her chestnut curls were pulled into a loose bun. Several strands of hair fell down to frame her face which sported a half smile that made Clarke’s mouth go dry. She had always thought Lexa was gorgeous and had impeccable clothing tastes, but this outfit screamed sophistication. “I’m so glad you could make it, Dr. Griffin,” she added. 

Bellamy cleared his throat and Clarke realized that her mouth was slightly agape. She snapped it shut quickly. “You must be the famous Lexa Woods,” Bellamy blurted as he stuck his hand out, trying to give Clarke some time to recover. “Bellamy Blake.”

Lexa gripped Bellamy’s hand harder than necessary, making sure she locked eyes with him. Her posture and expression managed to be challenging but regal. “A pleasure,” Lexa said in a darker voice than usual. 

Clarke immediately sensed the tension. Bellamy had a wary look on his face, and she thought she saw him gulp. “Bellamy owns a boxing studio,” she blurted, trying to sooth the rising uneasiness. “He is one of the best boxing instructors in Polis. Don’t you like to box? I feel like you told me you like to box.” 

“Is that so?” Lexa asked as she dropped Bellamy’s hand. She held his gaze a little longer before turning to Clarke with a dazzling smile. She didn’t miss how he shook his hand in discomfort when he thought she wasn’t looking. “I do like to box. Perhaps we should spar sometime. What would you say to that, Mr. Blake?”

“Um, sure. Yeah,” Bellamy stammered, trying to recover from the unanticipated aggressiveness with which he was greeted. “You could swing by the gym anytime.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Lexa said. She placed a finger up to her mouth as if she suddenly remembered something. “Blake....Blake? Any relation to Detective Blake? Polis P.D.?"

“My sister,” Bellamy said proudly, puffing out his chest

“I had the pleasure of meeting her a few weeks ago. She’s....spirited,” Lexa said with a forced smile. 

“She’s a good detective. She’s just passionate and protective,” Clarke felt the need to explain her friends behavior. She remembered that Octavia had given the CEO a hard time. She also felt the need to break this awkward tension that seemed to be building between the two. Lexa’s gaze and stance immediately relaxed when Clarke spoke. She turned her attention back to the blonde doctor, locking her green eyes onto blue. 

“It sounds like you know her,” Lexa echoed breathily. Clarke was once again caught in the CEO’s stare, unable to speak. She clicked her tongue around the K in Clarke’s name in that Lexa way. Suddenly it was as if they were the only two people in the room. Their eyes bored into each other as the CEO stepped closer. She reached her hand out and brushed a golden strand to the side that had gotten caught in the blonde’s lip gloss. “This guy has jumped out of place.” Her finger tips brushed Clarke’s cheek. 

“Thank you,” Clarke uttered as her face lit up red. Her cheek was on fire where Lexa’s finger tips had touched it. Clarke wasn’t sure what had brought this on. The CEO was usually aloof and distant, but she wasn’t complaining. She looked up into those green, green eyes. Once again, there was that something that seemed familiar. Something that called to her and made her insides throb. She KNEW these eyes. Bellamy cleared his throat breaking her trance.

“I think I’m going to go find a bathroom. It was nice to meet you, Ms. Woods. I’ll find you in a little while, Clarke,” he said awkwardly as he left the pair with a small bow. He felt as if he were intruding upon a private moment and it made him uncomfortable. 

“Okay,” she said as she watched him retreat. She turned her attention back to the elegant CEO. “The place is beautiful, and that car that picked us up.”

Lexa smiled and nodded her head knowingly, “I thought you might like the Phantom.”

“You knew?” 

“I sent it for you. Ark is our newest family member. I wanted you to know how much you....and the hospital...mean to me. Us. The company, I mean.” She was rambling. Clarke looked down sheepishly. She had to recover. Say something else! “The theatre is one of my favorite buildings.” She was desperate now. She had to regain control quickly before it was too late and she bared her soul. “My father used to bring me to operas and ballets here when I was younger. It is modeled after the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona which, interestingly enough, was built on the site of a former convent and was meant to house the Music Conservatory.” Clarke listened intently. She had never heard the woman talk so much. In meetings she always sat stoic and quiet unless she needed to interject. Even then her statements were quick and concise. Clarke realized that her voice was rich and soothing. She could listen to that voice for hours. “I’m sorry, this all must be incredibly boring. I have a strange affinity for history and architecture.” Lexa looked sheepish and embarrassed. 

“I think it’s fascinating,” Clarke said and she placed a hand an Lexa’s arm encouragingly. “The building truly is gorgeous.” 

Lexa paused for a moment, staring at the hand that now laid on her forearm. She looked as if she might be malfunctioning. Clarke withdrew her hand afraid that she had done something wrong when those bright eyes flashed up to her. Lexa straightened up and held her hand out. “Would you like to dance?” she asked softly. The hint of embarrassment that had lighted the CEO’s face was gone, replaced by a radiant, confident smile. 

Clarke returned it as she placed her hand in Lexa’s. “I would love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can catch me at:
> 
> Twitter: @A_Kasey_47  
>  Instagram: akasey47
> 
> I also decided to put my Tumblr on here even though I only use it to get lost in fandom stuff (now I have like 3 followers so thanks for that!) but if you want to message me or something feel free. I get on there every few days.
> 
> Tumblr: akasey47


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